‘It Takes Two’: Dwayne Johnson Set to Produce Movie Adaptation of 2021’s Game of the Year Winner
Last year, Hazelight Studios’ It Takes Two brought gamers together everywhere with its unique co-op gameplay and powerful story. Now, that story is heading to the big screen. According to new reports, Dwayne Johnson’s Seven Bucks Productions has signed on to help adapt It Takes Two into a film for Amazon Studios. Johnson could also potentially star in the video game movie. Here’s what we know so far.
‘It Takes Two’ became Game of the Year in 2021
It Takes Two became a critical and commercial hit upon its release in March 2021 before going on to win Game of the Year at The Game Awards in December. The game sets itself apart from others in that it only offers a co-op mode, where two people are required to play. This makes for unique gameplay that emphasizes teamwork, as players often need to complete actions simultaneously in order to move forward.
In addition to the gameplay, It Takes Two has been lauded for its emotional and engaging story. It follows spouses May and Cody, who decide they want to get a divorce. However, their daughter, Rose, becomes determined to keep her parents together using a book on relationships by Dr. Hakim.
As Rose plays with hand-made dolls of her parents, Cody and May suddenly find themselves turned into their doll forms. In order to return to their human bodies, they must take advice from Dr. Hakim, who appears as an anthropomorphic book. Cody and May must work together to save themselves from danger, but can they also save their marriage?
Amazon has an ‘It Takes Two’ film in the works with Dwayne Johnson set to produce
News of an It Takes Two movie first broke in January. As Variety reported, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 film studio dj2 Entertainment teamed up with Hazelight Studios to create a film or television show.
“Creating the world and story in It Takes Two was so much fun for me and the team,” Hazelight’s creative director, Josef Fares, said in a statement at the time. “Since it has a strong narrative with many crazy characters and just as crazy co-op action moments, the potential is huge for a great adaption to film or television.”
Now, Variety has reported that Dwayne Johnson’s company has signed on to the It Takes Two film project, as well as Amazon Studios. Johnson will serve as executive producer alongside Seven Bucks co-founder Dany Garcia and president Hiram Garcia. The cast has yet to be announced, so it’s not confirmed if Johnson will star in the film. However, the plot will likely closely follow the game.
Dwayne Johnson may have another video game movie lined up
Johnson is no stranger to video game adaptations. He starred in 2005’s Doom and 2018’s Rampage, both film adaptations of popular video games. Plus, he’s had a long partnership with Microsoft and Xbox, having joined in on the Xbox console’s initial reveal back in 2001.
Earlier this year, Johnson also teased that he had a secret video game film project coming up. Unfortunately, he didn’t provide any hints on what the game could be — it’s possible he meant It Takes Two or another game entirely. However, whatever it is, he told Men’s Journal the film would be “bada**.”
“I can’t tell you which game, in particular, we’re doing, but there will be an announcement this year. We’re going to bring one of the biggest, most bada** games to the screen — one that I’ve played for years,” he revealed. “I’m really excited to bring it to fans around the world. Of course, we’re going to do right by our gamer friends — but really, we’re just going to make a great movie.”
It Takes Two is now available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. The film adaptation does not yet have a release date. Stay tuned to Showbiz Cheat Sheet for more updates.
