Based on what we know about Fallout, it’s easy for fans of the long-running game franchise to acknowledge that the franchise never changes, and apparently neither does Jonathan Nolan. In light of the latest post-apocalyptic take hitting the 2024 TV schedule, the famous producer opened up about how his experience adapting The Dark Knight Trilogy struck a similar chord to the one that he worked with on his new Prime Video series.
Honestly, I can totally relate to his feelings on the matter, as a fan of both Fallout and other pop culture landmarks of a similar nature. Nolan's feelings about both projects came up when he spoke at a media event (via T3).
As Jonathan discussed what the opportunity to develop Amazon’s new streaming series meant to him, he invoked the time he co-wrote those modern Batman movies with his brother Christopher as a reference point. With that in mind, here’s how Jonathan Nolan compared Fallout’s development to working on that mythic DC property:
It's such a rare and unbelievable thing that I've gotten to do twice in my career, to take something that you love and get a chance to play in that universe, to create your own version. The first go-round for me was Batman, and this time with Fallout — a series of games that I absolutely loved.
I’m sure any other Fallout fan, or anyone who follows a property of similar pop culture importance, can identify with that sentiment. Being able to play around in the world that you idolize so much is an opportunity many of us dream about. So for Jonathan Nolan to get to develop a streaming series adaptation, with a star-studded cast that included the already-viral Walton Goggins among other notables, is totally next level.
At the same time, the Westworld co-creator understands the pressures of inheriting such a mantle. Further expanding on his Fallout series credentials, Nolan revealed that his love affair with the Bethesda games came from an entry point a lot of fans may be able to identify with. Jonathan Nolan shared these notes on the attitude that he carried into the Fallout series’ development:
It's kind of a fool's errand to try to figure out how to make [other] people happy... You've got to make yourself happy. And I've made myself very happy with the show. ... It started, for me, with Fallout 3, which devoured about a year of my life. I was an aspiring young writer at that point, and it almost derailed my entire career. It's so ludicrously playable and fun... seriously, the games were just incredible.
In my opinion, that right there is the epitome of adapting something like Fallout into another form of medium. Being a fan of a piece of IP is one thing, but realizing that the only fan you should really satisfy is yourself opens the door to making something that looks as good as this Prime Video subscription driver does.
Seriously, if you haven’t checked out the Fallout trailer, then you absolutely owe it to yourself to do so before leaving this story. If only because the footage below makes even more sense knowing how Jonathan approached adapting this darkly comic adventure into what looks like a truly epic rendition:
Whether it’s The Dark Knight, Fallout, or any other saga that endures the passage of time, adapting said stories into another form of media is a tricky situation. Keep that in mind when watching this upcoming Prime Video series, as the entire first season will be streaming starting on April 11th.
