Remedy Entertainment has made some of the most cinematic video games to ever grace the medium. Starting withMax Paynein 2001 and its sequelMax Payne 2: The Fall of Max Paynetwo years later, it was clear that the Finnish studio wanted to tell intricate and powerful stories in a way that was rare at the time. Those two games told theneo-noir storyof NYPD officer Max Payne trying to solve his family’s murder. However, it would take almost a decade before they would follow up their critically-acclaimedMax Payneseries with a new project.
In 2010, after a troubled development that involved scrapping the entire game midway through, Remedy Entertainment releasedAlan Wake. While the game sold poorly, especially compared to the successfulMax Paynefranchise,Alan Wakereviewed well and became a cult classic. The game eventually gained enough fans that it was viable last to remaster the original game and announce a sequel,Alan Wake II,last year.
In the midst of all of thisAlan Wakenews, it would’ve been easy to miss that there was also a TV show being developed at AMC based on the game.Revealed in a celebration of the game’s twelfth anniversary by its director, Sam Lake, there is very little known about the project. Lake only shared that Remedy and AMC have “been collaborating on making a TV show happen,” but he had “[n]othing more to share at the moment.” While we eagerly awaitAlan Wake II’s 2023 release, let’s look back at the first game, Remedy’s previous experience with television, and what the show might look like.
The Town of Bright Falls
Let’s start with a spoiler-free look at the world ofAlan Wake. The original and main game tells the story of the titular character, Alan Wake, a novelist dealing with writer’s block. Alan’s wife, Alice, takes him on a trip to the quaint town of Bright Falls to try and help him with his creative issues, despite Alan’s protests. Things go awry after some supernatural shenanigans cause Alice to go missing. Now, Alan must fight offpossessed citizensof the town with a flashlight and gun to save his wife.
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Alan Wake’s American Nightmarewas released as a follow-up to the original in 2012, but it lacked much of a story and hasn’t even been confirmed as canon. The most recent entry into theAlan Wakeseries was actually in a different game. Remedy’sControlfrom 2019 featured downloadable content that explored Alan’s current whereabouts. Between all of this and the upcoming sequel, there is plenty of material to base the TV show off of.
Multimedia Storytelling
Despite Remedy being a video game studio, this is far from their first foray into the live-action space.Alan Wakeitself had an in-universeTwilightZonehomage calledNight Springs,while real footage was integrated intoControlin a variety of different ways. EvenMax Paynehad comic panels with photographs of people to tell the story. However, these all pale in comparisonto 2016’sQuantum Break,which was both a video game and TV show in a single package.
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Quantum Breakwas a unique attempt at multimedia storytelling, with its narrative being told across both mediums equally. Reception to the concept was mixed at the time, with some criticizing the disconnect between the two halves, but they really did swing for the fences with the project. The production values, while not cable TV quality, were up there with any CW show. The cast featured relatively big names like Lance Reddick, Aidan Gillen, and Dominic Monaghan, among others. Remedy’s previous experience with television should make adaptingAlan Wakea familiar process for the company.
Twin Peaks-Inspired Pacific Northwest
Alan Wakewas unafraid to wear its influences on its sleeve, so we can get an idea about what the show might look like using those reference points. WhileThe Twilight Zoneandthe works of Stephen Kinghad a significant impact onAlan Wake,Twin Peaks' first two seasons served as the main inspiration for the game. The show’s revival hadn’t happened yet when the game was released in 2010, but the game’s quirky yet creepy Pacific Northwest setting is clearly inspired by the first iteration ofDavid Lynch’s masterpiece. There’s a good chance that AMC’sAlan Wakewill look like an amalgamation of these different influences, which could make for very compelling television.
TheAlan WakeTV show is incredibly early in development, to the point where it might never even come to fruition. Even if it does, the current lack of information makes it hard to envision what it might look like. However, the game’s compelling story, singular tone, iconic inspirations, and Remedy’s prior experience with episodic content all indicate thatAlan Wakewill be worth a watch if it manages to make its way onto AMC.
