If you haven’t played it yet, you should know that Firewatch is absolutely essential. It weaves a rich mystery with immersive exploratory gameplay. And now, The Hollywood Reporter tells us that we might see a Firewatch movie in our futures. Good Universe, the production company behind Neighbors and Don’t Breathe, is teaming up with game developer Campo Santo. The two companies want to make new games and movies together, and the first thing they want to do together is bring Firewatch to the big screen.
“When we met Good Universe we were floored by how they recognize, cultivate and produce incredible stories,” said Sean Vanaman of Campo Santo. Before founding Campo Santo, Vanaman was a designer with Telltale, working on their acclaimed episodic The Walking Dead games.
“Finding extraordinary content is incredibly exciting,” said Good Universe co-founder Joe Drake, “and with the Campo Santo team, we felt an immediate simpatico with their utterly beguiling storytelling and amazing creative instincts.”
Of all the indie games I’ve played in 2016, not only is Firewatch one of the best, but it’s also the most cinematic. It’s got atmosphere for days. Graphic designer Olly Moss helped Campo Santo find a signature look for the game. As a result, Firewatch is a breathtaking visual experience. It will adapt very well for the silver screen, especially with the imagery.
The game’s story is impressive, too. Its mystery winds ever tighter over the course of months in the characters’ lives. You play as Henry, a married man whose home life has fallen apart, and because he desperately needs a change, he takes a fire lookout job in the remote forests of Wyoming. Alone in the wilderness, he starts to notice an odd pattern of events around his lookout tower. Henry’s supervisor, Delilah, speaks to him on the radio. Ideally, the folks at Campo Santo and Good Universe will expand her role for this hypothetical film.
Will Firewatch make it to the movies? There’s no way to be sure right now because it’s only in development. Lots of movies never make it out of that stage, but as a fan, it’s encouraging to know that people are working hard to make it happen.
Find out more about the indie hit game ‘Firewatch’ with our look at the game and its development team.