Sydney Sweeney is trading in her HBO drama credentials for the world of sci-fi fantasy, as the Euphoria star is set to lead a big-screen adaptation of the breakout video game Split Fiction. Crazy Rich Asians director Jon M. Chu is attached to direct, with the project currently being pitched to studios, according to Variety.
The screenplay is being handled by Deadpool & Wolverine scribes Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, while Sweeney is also on board as an executive producer. The adaptation comes from Story Kitchen — the rebranded banner of producers Mike Goldberg and Dmitri M. Johnson — in collaboration with Chu’s Electric Somewhere.
Released in March to critical acclaim and commercial success, Split Fiction blends co-operative gameplay with narrative flair. The story centres on two authors, Mio and Zoe, who find themselves ensnared in the fictional universes they’ve created — a surreal, genre-blurring setup that shifts between fantasy and science fiction. The game, developed by Josef Fares’ Hazelight Studios and published by Electronic Arts, sold over two million copies in its first week alone.
Read more: ‘Wicked’ Director Jon M. Chu Throws Shade at Oscars After Critics Choice Win
Sweeney’s role is still under wraps, with no confirmation on whether she’ll portray Mio or Zoe. Either way, the project marks another high-profile move for the Emmy-nominated actor, whose recent foray into producing appears to be gathering steam.
Split Fiction is the latest in a growing list of video game adaptations spearheaded by Story Kitchen, whose previous credits include the box office-friendly Sonic the Hedgehog franchise and Netflix’s animated Tomb Raider series. The company also has adaptations of Streets of Rage, ToeJam & Earl, and It Takes Two — another Hazelight title — in the works.
A bidding war for the package reportedly began during this year’s Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, further fuelling Hollywood’s ongoing obsession with video games as IP goldmines. With Sweeney’s star power and Chu’s flair for crowd-pleasers, Split Fiction might just be the next crossover hit in the making.
Images: Jay Dixit, Eva Rinaldi
