Split Fiction, the incredible co-op action-adventure game that released last month, is set to get a movie adaptation, with Sydney Sweeney attached as an actress and executive producer.
The director of the musical movieWicked, Jon M. Chu, is also on board, as areDeadpool & Wolverinescreenwriters Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, according to aVarietyarticle.
What We Know About the Split Fiction Movie
Split Fiction, a video game developed by Hazelight, launched in March 2025 to great critical and commercial success. It’s available on PC, PS5, and Xbox X/S, and is anupcoming Switch 2 title. A few weeks after its release,Varietyreported that a movie adaptation was in the works, led by entertainment company Story Kitchen.
Now we know more, including Sweeney’s involvement, who is known for movies likeAnyone But Youand shows likeEuphoria. According to Variety’s sources, it’s not decided which ofSplit Fiction’s two lead characters the star will play.
Sweeney is on a bit of a video game streak recently—a report came viaDeadlineonly days ago that she is producing a movie adaptation of Sega’s classic arcade racerOutRun.
Story Kitchen specializes in video game adaptations, and has projects in the works based on franchises likeTomb Raider,ToeJam & Earl, andJust Cause. The same team is behind the previously announcedIt Takes Twomovie, a game also developed by Hazelight, though news on that has been slim.
Speaking toEurogamerin February, Hazelight founder Josef Fares said of theIt Takes Twoadaptation that his “hopes are not so high” and that “there’s a lot of talk, but not a lot of walk.” Hopefully theSplit Fictionmovie doesn’t succumb to the same fate.
Will Split Fiction Work as a Movie?
Split Fictionis one of my favorite games of the year so far. Games designed specifically for co-operative play are few and far between, so it’s a treat when one as glorious asSplit Fictioncomes along. It’s a thrilling ride, constantly chucking out new ideas and bubbling with imagination. It’s sheer joy, especially if you play it with someone in the same room.
My only criticism is that the game’s story—that of two authors, one who likes fantasy and the other sci-fi, who are sucked into each other’s virtual worlds—is a serviceable backdrop to let the gameplay shine. The fun of the game comes from all the different levels and abilities, and messing around with your partner. I’m curious to see how well that translates to the big screen.
Video Game Adaptations Have a Mixed Reputation
It’s fair to say that video game adaptations aren’t always great. Look at 2024’sBorderlandsor 2016’sAssassin’s Creed, for example. But that doesn’t necessarily stop these movies smashing the box office, as the recentA Minecraft Moviedemonstrates; it’s currently the second highest-grossing video game adaptation, behindThe Super Mario Bros. Movie.
There are plenty ofdecent video game movies, though, likeSonic the HedgehogandDetective Pikachu. Television is perhaps where the real magic happens, like with Amazon’sFalloutand HBO’sThe Last of Us, two shows which stand alone as superb entertainment regardless of their roots.
I’ll keep an open mind about theSplit Fictionmovie, assuming it ever materializes. There is plenty of potential for this to be a fun fantasy/sci-fi crossover, with a team who know how to bring audiences to the theater.
