Bethesda/SonyJames Franco (Spider-Man, The Disaster Artist) is developing a new TV show based on David Kushner’s 2003 book Masters of Doom, which focuses on the rise of developer id Software, and the making of the original DOOM.
Ramona Films, which is the production company helmed by James and brother Dave Franco, will be handling the adaption. A pilot has already been ordered by the USA network.
Deadline reports that Masters Of Doom will probably be an anthology series, with the first installment being an adaption of Kushner’s book – though it’s unclear where the show will go from there. Tom Bissell, who’s written for Uncharted, Battlefield, and Gears of War in the past will write and executive produce the show.
Bissell also wrote Extra Lives: Why Video Games Matter, and The Disaster Artist, the story behind the making of the critically-reviled The Room, which Franco famously adapted for the big screen in 2017. It’s safe to say the man has a solid track record, then.
Deadline describes the plot as following the true story of “two computer geniuses in an obscure corner of America” (John Carmack and John Romero) who work with a “group of rebellious misfits” to create one of the biggest franchises of the 90s. Of course, anyone who knows their games will know the original DOOM was a huge leap forward for the genre, and continues to influence FPS games to this day.
USA Network reportedly believes that the show will be a perfect fit for the company’s stable of stories about big American characters, and “heroes, rebels & icons.” Expect more details on the show soon.
BethesdaThe next entry in the DOOM franchise will be DOOM Eternal, which is once again being developed by id Software, with Bethesda on publishing duties. It’s coming to PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch on November 22.
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Ewan Moore is a journalist at UNILAD Gaming who still quite hasn’t gotten out of his mid 00’s emo phase. After graduating from the University of Portsmouth in 2015 with a BA in Journalism & Media Studies (thanks for asking), he went on to do some freelance words for various places, including Kotaku, Den of Geek, and TheSixthAxis, before landing a full time gig at UNILAD in 2016.