It’s been discovered that a Driver live-action series is no longer in development but apparently, there’s still hope for the franchise. Don’t feel confused if you didn’t know that a Driver live-action series was in the works given the tsunami of streaming and theatrical videogame adaptations announced over the last ten years only to sputter into nothingness. Ubisoft announced this project in 2021 when it said it would stream on Binge in 2022.
Per Ubisoft:
- “Our mission at Ubisoft is to bring our games to life in new and exciting ways and create content set in the world, culture, and community of gaming,” said Danielle Kreinik, head of television development, Ubisoft Film & Television.
- “Working with Binge will allow us to bring a Driver series directly to the audience who is most passionate about seeing this franchise come to life.” “As longtime fans of the franchise, we’re excited to deliver an original, premium, and rich storytelling experience that will take fans and newcomers on a thrilling ride,” said Allan Ungar for Binge.
The future of the franchise
Ubisoft recently posted its annual financial report, a 356-page document that includes many details, one of which led Game File to ask the publisher about the status of its Driver franchise. Ubisoft responded that it was no longer moving ahead with the live-action series but “We are actively working on other exciting projects related to the franchise and can’t wait to share more information in the future.”
There hasn’t been a new entry in the Driver franchise since 2011’s Driver San Francisco so another game is long overdue, to say the least. The first Driver game was released in 1999 and at one time directly competed with Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto franchise in the undercover agent/gangster genre, but did fall to the wayside as GTA became more popular. Ubisoft bought the franchise from Atari, Inc. and Reflections Interactive Limited in 2006 for $19 million.