According to a new Variety article, live-action Life is Strange series has been greenlit by Amazon Prime Video. It will be based on the first game of the eponymous video game franchise. Charlie Covell (The End of the F***ing World, Kaos) will serve as showrunner and executive producer. Amazon MGM Studios will produce, and the series will come from Square Enix, Story Kitchen, and LuckyChap.
Variety writes that series will follow Max Caulfield, “a photography student, who discovers she can rewind time while saving the life of her childhood best friend, Chloe. As she struggles to understand this new skill, the pair investigate the mysterious disappearance of a fellow student, uncovering a dark side to their town that will ultimately force them to make an impossible life or death choice that will impact them forever.”
“It’s a huge honor to be adapting Life is Strange for Amazon MGM Studios,” showrunner Covell said to Variety. “I am a massive fan of the game, and I’m thrilled to be working with the incredible teams at Square Enix, Story Kitchen, and LuckyChap. I can’t wait to share Max and Chloe’s story with fellow players and new audiences alike.”
Life is Strange is an anthology-style, episodic, and choice-based video game franchise. The first game was released in 2015 to multiple awards, widespread critical acclaim, and a loyal fanbase praising its story, Pacific Northwest atmosphere, and emotional themes. According to an article on mxdwn, the first game reached 20 million players in 2023. In 2017, a prequel game was released, and in 2018, new characters were introduced in standalone games The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit and Life is Strange 2. Another standalone game, Life is Strange: True Colors, was released in 2021, and in 2024, the very first game got sequel, titled Life is Strange: Double Exposure.
“Story Kitchen has always believed that Life is Strange deserved to be more than just a game—it’s a cultural touchstone,” Story Kitchen’s Dmitri M. Johnson (Split Fiction, Sonic the Hedgehog 3) and Mike Goldberg (Ruiner, Stash House) said to Variety. “After a decade-long journey, we’re honored to be bringing this beloved story to Amazon MGM alongside our incredible partners at Square Enix, our brilliant showrunner/writer Charlie Covell, and the amazing team at LuckyChap. Together, this thoughtfully assembled dream team is ready to share Life is Strange with the world in an entirely new way!”
DONTNOD, the developers of the first Life is Strange game, are not involved in the television series. However, in 2021, mxdwn interviewed the passionate developers and voice actors who worked on the game, showcasing the care put into the special franchise.
“Sometimes when you set some rules, you have to break your own rules,” Life is Strange lead writer Jean-Luc Cano told mxdwn. “I think that is the Life is Strange series. It’s not good people and bad people. We are all grey. I think all the characters are in this grey area like in real life.”