Todd Howard, the co-executive producer and game director of the Fallout franchise, has shared his thoughts on the potential for future adaptations of Bethesda Game Studios’ games. The Fallout series, which is widely regarded as one of the greatest video game series of all time, began in 1997 with a post-apocalyptic role-playing game developed by Interplay. Bethesda took over the production of the series starting with Fallout 3 in 2008.
Howard, who directed Fallout 3 and Fallout 4, also signed on to executive produce the Fallout TV adaptation, working alongside Jonathan Nolan and his wife and creative partner, Lisa Joy. In an interview with IGN, Howard discussed his experience with the Fallout TV show and whether more games from Bethesda’s library, including the hugely popular Elder Scrolls series, might be adapted for the big or small screen1.
Howard described his experience working on the show as “one of the most enjoyable projects I’ve ever done,” but remained non-committal about the prospect of further adaptations. He explained that the Fallout adaptation was not forced but emerged from a natural relationship and a shared belief that they could do a high-quality job. He also mentioned that there are currently no other adaptations in the works.
Despite the success of the Fallout TV show, which has received positive reviews, Howard has been cautious about the idea of adapting other Bethesda games. He specifically mentioned the Elder Scrolls series, stating that he keeps saying no to the idea of a TV show adaptation.
The process of creating any TV show is challenging, and adapting already established and popular source material is even more complex. Video game adaptations, in particular, face a number of risks. If they adhere too closely to the source material, they risk becoming redundant. However, if they deviate too much, they risk upsetting fans of the original games. Despite these challenges, the Fallout TV show seems to have struck the right balance so far.
In the broader context, live-action video game adaptations have historically had mixed success, with shows like Resident Evil and movies like Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, and Doom not performing well. However, the recent positive reviews of The Last Of Us and the success of movies like The Super Mario Bros. Movie have led to a resurgence in the popularity of video game adaptations. Despite this trend, Howard’s cautious approach to further adaptations is understandable, as all the different elements need to align perfectly for an adaptation to be successful.
