The Mediumis officially in the movie adaptation pipeline. This psychologicalhorror video game, developed by Polish company Bloober Team, focuses on Marianne, a spirit medium, who is living in post-Communist Poland in 1999. Marianne looks into the dark secrets of a falling-apart Polish resort, all the while navigating both the real world and the spirit world.
Throughout, she is haunted by a monstrous entity and horrific visions, including that of a child’s murder. The game’s visuals were inspired by the work of painter Zdzisław Beksiński.Its studio, Bloober, has previously produced numerous games,includingSilent Hill 2andObserver: System Redux.
As perThe Hollywood Reporter,The Mediumis now getting a movie adaptation.Gary Dauberman has acquired the rights and will produce the film, which is now on the hunt for a writer and director. Dauberman said the game was “natural for a feature film adaptation,” in a statement fully realized below:
With its compelling story and incredibly cinematic visuals,The Mediumis a natural for a feature film adaptation.
When I talked to Piotr [Babieno] about it, we immediately connected on our mutual love of horror and his vision for where the genre is headed. I have no doubt anything Bloober develops is going to push horror forward in unique and terrifying ways, and I’m excited to be working alongside them.
Bloober CEO Piotr Babieno also commented on the project:
Adapting games into films often involves balancing many interests, but withThe Medium, I have a deep sense that Gary is the perfect partner for us. From our very first conversation, I felt we were completely in sync. And every conversation since has only reinforced that feeling.
What A Movie Adaptation Means For The Medium
The Video Game Was Quite Divisive
The Mediumadaptation comes at a time whenvideo game adaptationsare increasingly popular. This year alone has already seen a massive theatrical release withA Minecraft Movieand a modestly successful adaptation ofUntil Dawn. Still to come is the release ofMortal Kombat II, which will be released on Oct. 24.
While video game-based movies always have a lot to live up to,The Mediumadaptation has some unique struggles.While the game received a lot of critical praise, the story was divisive among many gamers. Many found the handling of some of its themes, including mental health, to be problematic.
That said,Dauberman is experienced in the video game adaptation space. He served as a writer and producer for theUntil Dawnadaptation earlier this year. Babieno already seems confident in Dauberman’s partnership, noting that they were “completely in sync,” which could be a good sign.
Our Take On The Medium Movie
It Has The Opportunity To Improve Aspects Of The Game
As problematic as some of its plot points can be interpreted,The Mediumis set in an interesting universe.It combines a real-life political climate with the supernatural world. The movie adaptation could play with this fantasy space in an interesting way, making for good world-building.
The Mediummovie also has the opportunity to course-correct after some of the more divisive elements of the game. Without having to factor in gameplay, the film adaptation can delve further into its narrative. With more time to develop this, I am hopeful thatThe Mediumcan make some key improvements to the game.
