Prime Video’sFallout, created by showrunners Geneva Robertson-Dworet and Graham Wagner, has been lauded as one of the greatest video game adaptations of all-time (alongside HBO’sThe Last of Us). However, when the show was still in development, the pair faced a wave of backlash about the changes they were making to the beloved video game franchise.
Based on the games created by Interplay Entertainment (and currently managed by Bethesda Softworks),Prime Video’sFallouttells a new storyset in the world of the video games and incorporates lore from some of the most popular titles.
Speaking toThe Hollywood Reporterfollowing the show’s 16 Emmy nominations, Robertson-Dworet and Wagner discussed the process of developing the series and addressed the initial criticism they faced from fans. Like any worthwhile adaptation,Falloutalters and adds to the pre-existing lore of the show’s universe. But these changes were met with heavy scorn from long-time fans of the games.
Graham Wagner believes that even the most beloved literary classics should be altered when being adapted for a different medium, andFalloutis no different. He explained:
“Jane Austen isn’t sacred anymore. There might’ve been a time when you were a Philistine if you deviated in an adaptation, but not anymore. For Fallout, we did alter the course of the game’s canonical history. There was a Reddit thread that had to get shut down. People were so mad. So it is sort of the new sacred cow in a way. That makes it kind of fun to play with.”
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Fallout’s Showrunners Compare Their Adaptation to The Last of Us
WhenFalloutwas released on Prime Video earlier this year, fans were elated about the new adaptation. Starring Ella Purnell, Walton Goggins, and Aaron Moten, the series honored the lore of the games, featuring dozens of Easter eggs whilst telling a fresh story.
The show received outstanding reviews from audiences and critics, who areeagerly awaiting a second season.Of course, a good show can never seem to exist on its own merit, andFalloutwas quickly compared to HBO’sThe Last of Usseries.
Amazon Teases Possible Fallout Spinoffs
After earning 17 Emmy nominations, the world of Fallout might be expanding.
During the conversation, Geneva Robertson-Dworet explained the key difference between the two shows.Naughty Dog’sThe Last of Usvideo gametells a linear story that plays out like a TV series, with each level acting like a new episode. Meanwhile, theFalloutgames feature sprawling open worlds where players can choose where they go and how the stories play out.
As a result, Wagner and Robertson-Dworet had less of an exact narrative to pull from, which was a blessing and a curse for the pair. Geneva Robertson-Dworet explains:
“Because it’s an open world game, there are many ways the narrative can unfold. It’s not as locked, sequentially, as The Last of Us — where they did a beautiful, very direct adaptation of the video game story. We didn’t have that option, because everyone who plays the game does it in a different order. That was wonderfully liberating, because we got to come up with our own story and our own characters within this world. When we started this project, we asked ourselves, ‘What characters would we want to create in this world and mythology?'”
