‘The Sims’ Movie Coming, But Still No ‘Sims 5’ On The Horizon

“The Hollywood rumors are true!” Electronic Arts (EA) has made official in a press release published on Tuesday, September 17, the film adaptation of its video game license. The Simsafter announcing the project at an investor conference. The production, which has not yet had a release date, is being carried out in partnership with Amazon MGM Studios and LuckyChap, the company owned by actress Margot Robbie, who is behind the film adaptation of the global hit Barbie.

Little is known about this feature film yet, except that it will be “very anchored” in the universe of the games and will include many elements of the history of the Simsas Electronic Arts executive Kate Gorman assured the magazine VarietyThe challenge of bringing to the screen this universe whose characters speak an unintelligible language, called “Simlish”, was entrusted to the director Kate Herron (Loki, Sex Education) and screenwriter Briony Redman (Doctor Who), both of whom have been named executive producers of the film.

Since the first opus was released in 2000, The Sims are a life simulation video game that requires players to take charge of the daily lives of small characters. It does not set any specific goals for players and has no pre-established scenario. Its universe can be shaped according to the whims of the person in control of the game: everything is customizable, from the furniture in the house to the relationships or profession of its avatars. The four main parts totaled more than $5 billion in profit in 2019, according to Electronic Arts. The latest, The Sims 4 (2014), has sold over 80 million copies, making it the best-selling installment of the franchise.

A space of freedom

Several generations of players have seized this space of freedom, less “heteronormative” than many video games: the first game already allowed homosexual relationships and, since The Sims 2a man’s body can give birth. The game also attracts many moddersfans who modify the game to suit their tastes and integrate unofficial objects or characters.

“We will continue to deepen, improve and modernize The Sims 4 »EA said on September 17. Asked by VarietyKate Gorman assured that these future developments “will not replace previous projects”that they “will only enrich them”seeming to sweep away all speculations about the announcement of a fifth episode. EA did however clarify on this occasion the contours of the still nebulous “Project René”, the code name of a new game in the series, which will be a “mobile game with a story”playable in multiplayer.

With this film, EA hopes to repeat the success of video game adaptations into films. Sonic (2020) or Super Mario (2022). Other recent Hollywood hits inspired by video games include series such asArcane (2021), whose season 2 is expected in November on Netflix, The Last of Us (2023, Prime Video) or Fallout (2024, Prime Video).

However, big screen adaptations of video games have also often disappointed: the first experiment of the genre in Hollywood, Super Mario Bros (1993), had given rise to a wobbly film as much mocked by critics as by players upon its release. – even though it has since acquired cult status. This summer, it was the turn of the adaptation of Borderlands by Eli Roth to attract the wrath of the public.