Summary

  • Netflix cancels Horizon Zero Dawn adaptation due to allegations against showrunner Steve Blackman.
  • Blackman's alleged toxic work environment and unsatisfactory script quality may have contributed to the cancellation.
  • Other video game adaptations, like God of War and The Legend of Zelda, are still in development.

Popular video games are increasingly being transformed into live-action adaptations. However, it seems that Netflix has officially canceled the Horizon Zero Dawn adaptation.

Many video game companies are jumping on the trend of successful adaptations, with even the biggest names joining in. However, one notable project is not moving forward. Why did Netflix cancel the Horizon Zero Dawn adaptation?

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Aerith Cloud Tifa looking up promo screenshot
Could A Live-Action Final Fantasy Movie Happen?

Could the pure wonder and epic fantasy of Final Fantasy somehow translate to the big screen?

By 

According to a recent report by Rolling Stone's Cheyenne Roundtree, Netflix is canceling the potential live-action adaptation of the popular Horizon Zero Dawn video game. Initially, reports suggested that the series would proceed without its previous showrunner. However, it has now been confirmed that the project is entirely scrapped. Although not fully confirmed, it is implied that this decision heavily stems from recent accusations against the showrunner, Steve Blackman.

Horizon Zero Dawn's Aloy aiming her bow

The initial news about the live-action adaptation came out in 2022 when Sony announced its intention to adapt the popular RPG video game series. Netflix later took on the project, enlisting Umbrella Academy's Steve Blackman and Michelle Lovretta, the creator of Lost Girl, as co-showrunners. However, despite these promising beginnings, Netflix has ultimately chosen to cancel the project altogether. While Netflix has not officially disclosed the exact reasons behind the cancellation, several factors are speculated to have contributed. Foremost among them are allegations surrounding Blackman himself.

Reports have surfaced accusing Blackman of a long history of toxic work environment, manipulative behavior, bullying, stealing ideas from colleagues and more. These accusations gained significant attention, particularly with the backing of at least twelve employees who came forward. Moreover, Netflix's decision to cancel another high-profile project helmed by Blackman, his original sci-fi thriller series Orbital, despite a substantial investment of $50 million for both projects' development, appears to substantiate concerns over his conduct. Despite the denials from Blackman, who has labeled the allegations as "untrue" and "absurd," the controversy has cast a shadow over the Horizon adaptation. In addition to these issues, rumors have circulated suggesting dissatisfaction with the quality of the script of the live-action adaptation as another potential reason for its cancellation. Allegedly, concerns about the script's direction and execution may have contributed to Netflix's decision to pull the plug on the project.

In 2022, Blackman discussed his motivations for the adaptation, emphasizing his goal of bringing to life the intricately crafted characters rarely explored in other media. He confirmed plans for the series to closely follow Aloy, the young warrior protagonist of the video games, on her journey to save the world. Sony announced in January of this year that writing had started for the adaptation, but since then, there have been no updates on its progress. Casting details remain undisclosed, and now, the series has been fully scrapped. Speculation lingers about the possibility of reviving the project under different leadership or with a new production company, though no concrete plans have emerged. On a brighter note, other video game adaptations are gaining traction. Both God of War and The Legend of Zelda are in development for live-action adaptations, while Elden Ring has received approval for a movie adaptation from its creators. However, it appears that Horizon Zero Dawn will not be among those moving forward with its adaptation plans.

Source: Rolling Stone

  • Image
    horizon-game-series-franchise
    Horizon
    Display card main info widget
    Display card main info widget end

    The Horizon franchise follows Aloy as she is forced to contend with a series of powerful, towering robotic creatures in a post-apocalyptic landscape. The third-person action-RPG has already seen a sequel with Horizon: Forbidden West and gives players the freedom to explore the open world as they see fit.

    Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info
  • Rating block community and brand ratings Image
    horizon-zero-dawn-cover
    Horizon: Zero Dawn
    Display card tags widget
    Action
    RPG
    Display card system widget
    Systems
    PC-1 PlayStation-1
    Display card community and brand rating widget
    9 /10
    Display card open critics widget
    Top Critic Avg: 89 /100 Critics Rec: 94%
    Display card main info widget
    Released
    February 28, 2017
    ESRB
    T for Teen: Blood, Drug Reference, Language, Mild Sexual Themes, Violence
    Developer(s)
    Guerrilla Games
    Publisher(s)
    Sony
    Engine
    Decima
    Display card main info widget end Display card media widget start Display card media widget end

    WHERE TO PLAY

    DIGITAL
    PHYSICAL
    Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info

    Earth is ours no more. In an era where Machines roam the land and mankind is no longer the dominant species, a young hunter named Aloy embarks on a journey to discover her destiny. In a lush, post-apocalyptic world where nature has reclaimed the ruins of a forgotten civilization, pockets of humanity live on in primitive hunter-gatherer tribes. Their dominion over the new wilderness has been usurped by the Machines – fearsome mechanical creatures of unknown origin.

    Explore a vibrant landscape rich with the beauty of nature. Travel through stunningly detailed forests, imposing mountains and the atmospheric ruins of a bygone civilization, all brought together in a world that is alive with changing weather systems and a full day/night cycle.

    Genre(s)
    Action, RPG
    Aloy and a Thunderjaw in Horizon Zero Dawn
  • Rating block community and brand ratings Image
    horizon-forbidden-west-cover
    Horizon Forbidden West
    Display card tags widget
    Action
    RPG
    Display card system widget
    Systems
    PC-1 PlayStation-1
    Display card community and brand rating widget
    9 /10
    Display card open critics widget Display card main info widget
    Released
    February 18, 2022
    ESRB
    T for Teen: Blood, Language, Use of Alcohol, Violence
    Developer(s)
    Guerrilla Games
    Display card main info widget end Display card media widget start
    Display card media widget end

    WHERE TO PLAY

    DIGITAL
    PHYSICAL
    Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info

    Join Aloy as she braves a majestic but dangerous new frontier that holds mysterious new threats. This Complete Edition allows you to enjoy the critically acclaimed Horizon Forbidden West on PC in its entirety with bonus content, including the Burning Shores story expansion that picks up after the main game.

    Explore distant lands, fight bigger and more awe-inspiring machines, and encounter astonishing new tribes as you return to the far-future, post-apocalyptic world of Horizon.

    The land is dying. Vicious storms and an unstoppable blight ravage the scattered remnants of humanity while fearsome new machines prowl their borders, and life on Earth is hurtling toward another extinction.

    It's up to Aloy to uncover the secrets behind these threats and restore order and balance to the world. Along the way, she must reunite with old friends, forge alliances with warring new factions and unravel the legacy of the ancient past.

    Genre(s)
    Action, RPG