For years, Netflix has been putting out impressive video game adaptations, and it’s quickly evolved into one of the streaming service’s greatest strategies. Well-received TV series like Arcane, Castlevania, Devil May Cry, and Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft have helped prove that video game adaptations can resonate with critics and audiences alike, and that positive reception has encouraged Netflix to keep expanding its gaming adaptation slate, with an upcoming reported addition now moving to a huge franchise: Atlus’ Persona. It’s worth noting that Netflix has declined to comment on the report (via Variety).
The franchise’s first live-action project is reportedly in its early stages, but Persona’s unique blend of supernatural storytelling and psychological themes means Netflix may have secured one of its most exciting adaptations yet. Despite this, the live-action show faces an unusual challenge from the outset, and before the casting is announced or release plans are even explored, the creative team has a huge decision to make: which Persona game should the series adapt?
Persona Is Getting a Live-Action TV Series
A new report suggests that ATLUS’ hit JRPG franchise is receiving a live-action TV series and will premiere on a major streaming platform.
According to Reports, a Persona Live-Action TV Show is in Development At Netflix
Information surrounding the Persona TV show is light so far, and Netflix has yet to confirm the news. However, Variety’s report states that Christopher Monfette (of Star Trek: Picard and 12 Monkeys fame) is attached as both writer and executive producer. The series will also be produced by 21 Laps’ Shawn Levy, Dan Levine, and Robert Atwood, and Story Kitchens’ Dmitri M. Johnson, Michael Lawrence Goldberg, and Timothy I Stevenson. Furthermore, SEGA’s Toru Nakahara will also oversee the project as an executive producer. Fans have yet to receive any official confirmation from Netflix regarding who will direct the project.
Given that the Persona TV show is in its early stages, a lack of information is understandable. However, it has also naturally sparked a major question among fans: which game will Netflix’s Persona adapt? Unlike many video game series, Persona doesn’t follow one continuous narrative. Each entry introduces a new cast, setting, and mystery and functions as a standalone story, with only recurring themes, Easter eggs, mechanics, and the wider universe to tie the stories together. Which Persona game Netflix chooses will fundamentally shape the adaptation from the get-go.
Every Mainline Persona Game, Ranked
As a Shin Megami Tensei spin-off, Atlus’ Persona has grown in stature over the last decade. Here are all the mainline JRPG entries, ranked.
A Persona Live-Action TV Show Has to Decide Which Game Should Be Adapted
Netflix’s Persona faces a big creative hurdle with which game to adapt. Persona 5 boasts a striking visual identity and memorable cast, and the game’s Phantom Thieves premise already feels tailor-made for an episodic Netflix adaptation. But even with these strengths, and an unforgettable soundtrack cementing it as one of the best RPGs of all time, Persona 5 is notoriously difficult to adapt. The game’s 100-hour narrative would make a faithful TV translation a logistical nightmare, and it has already been explored multiple times with the original game, Persona 5 Royale, and an anime. If Netflix decided to retell that same story again, it’d invite countless comparisons to the beloved games and could face the same negative reception as PERSONA5 the Animation.
This leaves Netflix with an intriguing dilemma. Persona 5 is a big title, but it’s too structurally difficult to adapt. Persona 3 Reload and Persona 4 face similar challenges with pacing: Persona 3 introduced a new generation of players to one of the franchise’s darkest stories with a slower emotional progression, and Persona 4 remains a fan-favorite thanks to its small-town mystery and slower, character-driven approach. Either game could help Netflix’s live-action series establish its own identity, but the games’ pacing is going to be a challenge. Even if Netflix goes down the anthology route, the decision of which entry to bring to TV first, and how, is still hugely significant, as it will establish the show’s identity and might even be responsible for the live-action’s future. Deciding which game to adapt will be Netflix’s biggest hurdle, and it will likely prove to be just as important as decisions on casting and accuracy.
- Video Game(s)
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Persona 2: Innocent Sin, Persona 2: Eternal Punishment, Persona 3, Persona 3: FES, Persona 3 Portable, Persona 3 Reload, Persona 4, Persona 4 Golden, Persona 4 Arena, Persona 4 Arena Ultimax, Persona 4: Dancing All Night, Persona 5, Persona 5 Royal, Persona 5 Strikers, Persona 5 Tactica, Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth, Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth, Revelations: Persona
- Creation Year
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1996
