Stray puts players in the role of a cat exploring a dystopian city with a drone. The game has not only thrilled cat fans since 2022 and is now to be filmed.
Now the studio has a new project planned: the adaptation of the popular cat game “Stray” in a cyberpunk setting. In doing so, they want to keep the special perspective from the game and face the challenge of wrapping the game in a film-worthy story.
Here you can see the game Stray in the trailer:
Stray: The launch trailer for the game
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The studio accepts the challenge
That’s what the studio planned: According to Entertainment Weekly, an animated film based on Stray is in development (via ew.com). Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Robert Baird, part of the executive team at Annapurna Animation studios, gave an insight into the planning:
This game is about what makes us human and there are no humans in it. It’s a buddy comedy about a cat and a robot and there’s such a fun dynamic. So there’s comedy in this film, but there’s not a single human in it.
I think one of the reasons the game was incredibly popular is that it lets you see the world through the eyes of an adorable cat. How did they do that and how are we going to implement that in the film?
We’ll make it, even if it sometimes seems impossible, but we know that this is the essence of the game and the key to the story.
Robert Baird via ew.com
Developers have described Stray as having “kind of a ‘hopepunk’ vibe,” explains Baird. It has a narrative concept in which optimism is a form of resistance. He loves the term “Hopepunk”. He thinks it will be the first and greatest “hopepunk movie” ever made if the studio does justice to the adaptation.
“Stray” is the first title the studio has set out to adapt. Explaining to Entertainment Weekly, Annapurna Animation’s second director, Andrew Millstein, the reasons behind the choice of the game:
First, it’s just incredibly popular. People get into the game for different reasons and I think for us at Annapurna working with different creative people it’s a mystery. What makes this game so popular?
The question then becomes, how do you adapt a game into a longer story that is extremely respectful of the game itself and the viewers, but also movie-worthy? The process is always a challenge.
Andrew Millstein via ew.com
In addition to the film adaptation of Stray, the Annapurna Games has other games planned. They have announced a Blade Runner game that they are developing themselves this time.
The game, titled Blade Runner 2033: Maze, takes place between the events of the Blade Runner and Blade Runner 2049 movies:
They brought us one of the best cyberpunk games, now they make a new blade runner game by themselves