Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is already getting a live-action movie from the folks behind the Tomb Raider and Just Cause adaptations, even though the RPG isn’t out yet

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has more than piqued our interest over here at ol’ PC Gamer, but while Sandfall Interactive’s extremely stylish RPG shows a lot of promise, I’ve gotta admit I was surprised to find out that a live-action movie adaptation was already in the works. The game isn’t out until April this year.

Developed by “a small team with an indie spirit“, Clair Obscur is set in a fantasy world inspired by the Belle Époque, a French golden age sandwiched between the Napoleonic Wars and World War 2. It’s the era that gave us the Eiffel Tower, Moulin Rouge, the cinematograph and Art Nouveau. In Clair Obscur, though, instead of a spirit of optimism about the future, people are desperately trying to avert extinction.

See, once a year, a being known as the Paintress paints a number on her monolith, and then everyone that age “turns to smoke and fades away”. She’s counting down. And every year, an expedition is sent on a mission to kill her. We’ll play the crew of Expedition 33, who all have a year to live, rushing to stop the Paintress before she paints their number.

A strong aesthetic and a premise that is strange but with big, easy-to-comprehend stakes lends itself well to a movie adaptation, I suppose. Story Kitchen must think so, at least. Per Variety’s exclusive, the production company—which includes the producer of Sonic the Hedgehog as one of its co-founders—has teamed up with Sandfall to adapt the game. It specialises in adapting videogames and is also currently working on the live-action Tomb Raider show for Amazon, as well as adaptations of Just Cause, Ruiner and Shinobi.

“The game’s compelling narrative and complex characters provide a solid foundation for a cinematic experience that will resonate with both gamers and moviegoers alike,” said Story Kitchen founders Dmitri M. Johnson and Mike Goldberg.

All of Story Kitchen’s other projects are either part of an established series, or—in the case of Ruiner—started long after the game came out. But at the moment nobody knows if Clair Obscur is going to be a big deal. That said, I suspect that the movie execs making these deals don’t really care. Sure, Tomb Raider remains a big deal, but a 2017 top-down shooter like Ruiner ain’t putting bums on seats.

There’s no word on when the movie is expected to release, since it’s still on the hunt for a director and cast. The game, meanwhile, will arrive on April 24.

Fraser is the UK online editor and has actually met The Internet in person. With over a decade of experience, he’s been around the block a few times, serving as a freelancer, news editor and prolific reviewer. Strategy games have been a 30-year-long obsession, from tiny RTSs to sprawling political sims, and he never turns down the chance to rave about Total War or Crusader Kings. He’s also been known to set up shop in the latest MMO and likes to wind down with an endlessly deep, systemic RPG. These days, when he’s not editing, he can usually be found writing features that are 1,000 words too long or talking about his dog.