Split Fiction / Hazelight Studios
Haven’t had a chance to take Split Fiction yet? And the filmmakers don’t slow down because they already want to make a movie.
Currently, active negotiations are underway for the film rights to a new cooperative game from Hazelight Studios, the creators of It Takes Two. As it became known during GDC 2025 in San Francisco, everything is organized by the media company Story Kitchen. Now the team is looking for actors, screenwriters, and a director, and Hollywood studios are actively fighting for the right to work on the project. Also interesting, whether the movie will be released faster than the movie adaptation of It Takes Two, which is still under development.
It’s no wonder that showrunners were so quick to take a look at Split Fiction — the game gained popularity immediately after its release. Players were fascinated by the unique blend of fantasy and science fiction about writers Zoe and Mio, who have fallen into the worlds of their own works. The project became not just popular — it was the first to 13 years from EA, with over 90 points on Metacritic and the highest rating of 2025 from critics. The press’ opinions did not contradict the players’ feelings, as the game was released on Steam awarded 96% of positive reviews.
Josef Fares worked on the game together with Sebastian Johansson. Hazelight Studios developed the project in 2021, which means that they immediately after the release of It Takes Two. Interest in the game only grew after its presentation at The Game Awards 2024. And for good reason: interesting gameplay, very good optimization, and an insane number of references to both the studio’s games and pop culture in general. The level with an ironic capcha is worth a mention.
But so far, there are no official comments from Hazelight Studios and Story Kitchen about the movie, but it is clear that there is a huge interest in the project. GDC Variety has confirmed that negotiations between the studios are ongoing, and more details will be revealed in the future.
It also makes me wonder if Split Fiction will be a successful movie. Some other game adaptations have not been received positively by the audience. For example, Minecraft trailers have been heavily criticized (although some have begun to appreciate this crunk style), and the movie «Borderlands» collected a meager 6% on Rotten Tomatoes. But on the other hand, on the other side «Sonic the Hedgehog 3», which earned more than $330 million in the global box office. So the success of Hazelight’s game is a big question mark: will the authors be able to convey the atmosphere and create high-quality special effects?
Source: Variety