After one attempt to move forward with a television series based on the popular video game God of War, Sony Pictures TV and Amazon MGM Studios are starting over. Deadline reports the ancient mythology-themed video game series will receive new ownership as the studios have decided to move in a different creative direction.
First launched in 2005, the God of War franchise spans a total of seven games across four PlayStation consoles. The series’ narrative follows Kratos, an ex-Spartan warrior who decides to hang up his weapons forever in the norse realm of Midgard. When his beloved wife dies, Kratos sets off on a journey with his estranged son to spread her ashes from the world’s highest peak—his wife’s dying wish. Kratos soon realizes that this dangerous journey is an epic quest in disguise, one that will test the bonds between father and son, and force Kratos to battle new Gods and monsters for the fate of the world.
According to Deadline, showrunner/executive producer Rafe Judkins (Wheel of Time), along with executive producers Hawk Ostby and Mark Fergus (both The Expanse), left the project after completing multiple scripts for the first season. Though the trio’s scripts were praised, the studios are looking to shift approaches, starting by hiring a whole new writers room for the series.
God of War remains an important asset for Prime, who previously ordered the series in 2022. Though Judkins will not serve as showrunner, he remains under a deal with Sony, where he will continue to focus on new development for the streamer.
Santa Monica Studio creative director Cory Barlog and developer Yumi Yang remain EPs on God of War. Others are Yumi Land, Asad Qizilbash and Carter Swan (both The Last of Us), and Vertigo Entertainment’s Roy Lee (Them).