Life is Strange TV Series Greenlit, But Original Creators Are Not Involved
Get ready to rewind, but with a new perspective. While the Gayming Award-winning Life is Strange is officially getting a prestige TV series, the original writers have revealed they’ve been left out of the project entirely.
In what should have been purely celebratory news, Prime Video announced this week that it has officially ordered a series adaptation of the landmark Square Enix game, Life is Strange. The project boasts a dream team of producers, including showrunner Charlie Covell (The End of the F***ing World), Story Kitchen, and LuckyChap (co-founded by Margot Robbie).
However, the celebratory mood was quickly complicated when the original creative minds behind Max and Chloe’s story revealed they have no part in the new show.
Christian Divine, the lead writer on the original 2015 game, pointed out the bittersweet reality on social media, stating, “the only people not involved are the creators.”
The announcement from Amazon and its partners focused on the high-profile names now attached, making no mention of Divine or his fellow key creatives from the French studio Don’t Nod, including Michel Koch, Raoul Barbet, and Jean-Luc Cano, who were instrumental in crafting the world of Arcadia Bay and its beloved characters.
This exclusion stings, particularly for a franchise that has consistently championed authentic, heartfelt storytelling. Life is Strange has been a beacon for queer representation in gaming, a fact frequently celebrated by our community and recognized at the Gayming Awards in 2022, where Life is Strange: True Colors won Game of the Year, along with awards for Authentic Representation and Best LGBTQ Character for Alex Chen
The new team is certainly talented. Showrunner Charlie Covell expressed their passion for the source material, stating, “I am a massive fan of the game… I can’t wait to share Max and Chloe’s story with fellow players and new audiences alike.”
But for many fans, the soul of Life is Strange lies in the unique vision of its original developers at DONTNOD. While the TV series promises to bring the story to a wider audience, the revelation of their absence has cast a shadow over the project, raising questions about creative ownership and respect for the artists who started it all.
As it stands, the Life is Strange series will premiere exclusively on Prime Video worldwide. While excitement for a live-action Arcadia Bay is high, it’s now mixed with a sense of caution and a hope that the final show does justice to the legacy of the creators who first brought it to life.
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