Amazon is rounding out the creative team behind its upcoming video game adaptation of God of War, adding talent from Hulu and FX’s hit series Shōgun. Following the success of Fallout on Prime Video, Amazon gave the green light to more video game adaptations, with the streaming service also planning shows based on Horizon Zero Dawn and Mass Effect.
A God of War series was also announced, with the action-adventure franchise first introduced to gamers in 2005. The video game series redefined itself with 2018’s God of War, which was continued with God of War: Ragnarök in 2022, with the games shifting play styles and mythologies from Greek to Norse.
Amazon’s planned God of War series aims to draw inspiration from the 2018 revamp, with Battlestar Galactica and Outlander showrunner Ronald D. Moore taking the reins. Moore’s involvement was announced last year, with Deadline now reporting that director Frederick E.O. Toye is joining the production. Toye has helmed episodes of The Boys, Fallout, and Shōgun, which earned him an Emmy Award. God of War will have Toye direct the first two episodes of the video game adaptation, helping craft the show’s look and feel alongside Moore. The Prime Video series has already been given the green light for two seasons, with the streaming service looking for another hit with gaming audiences.
Amazon’s ‘God of War’ Series Promises a Faithful Adaptation
Fans of Moore’s work were thrilled by his addition to the God of War live-action series, as his resume speaks volumes about his skilled plotting and character work. The showrunner gave some pause earlier this year when he revealed on a podcast that, “I’m not a gamer.” Moore at least attempted to play the games, noting his skill for older titles, stating:
“I’ve tried. I’m not a gamer. I took a stab at it. I grew up in the arcade era. I can do that. I can play Defender, or Asteroid, sure. But, the controllers now… I can’t quite get over that. My kids, of course, do it like it’s nothing. My wife can do it.”
Moore eased concerns during his San Diego Comic-Con appearance earlier this year, where he delved into what makes the show special, noting the relationship between Kratos and his son, which carries the emotional weight of the story. The Battlestar Galactica showrunner hopes to provide fans with a faithful adaptation of the gaming experience, fleshing out the world with characters and experiences to make it feel alive.
“The tone of the show is trying to emulate the tone of the game, which is there’s this epic journey, this heartfelt story of these two men setting out on this thing to honor the memory of his wife, Atreus’ mother. So it has this emotional heart, but there’s this sense of history of who Kratos is, this mystery about his past, what he represents, the emotions that he’s going through. So there’s a weight to it, but not so much weight that there’s not enjoyment along the way and there’s spectacle and there’s lots of things going on in this world.”
Given what has been said about Amazon’s plans for God of War, fans know they’ll be seeing Kratos in live-action, with a story close to the 2018 video game. However, how that translates remains to be seen, with the show looking to balance gritty violence, emotional stakes, and mythology, while still aiming for grounded viewing, with Moore and Toye adding promise to the show’s potential. God of War currently doesn’t have a release date, but filming is expected to take place in early 2026, with a 2027 release likely.
- Release Date
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2024 – 2026-00-00
- Network
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FX, Hulu
- Directors
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Fred Toye, Jonathan van Tulleken, Charlotte Brändström, Takeshi Fukunaga, Hiromi Kamata
- Writers
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Rachel Kondo