The chaotic, politically charged world of Ubisoft’s “Far Cry” video game franchise is making the leap to television, and it’s bringing some serious creative firepower with it. FX and Hulu have greenlit a new series based on the beloved games, with “Alien: Earth” creator Noah Hawley producing and “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” star Rob McElhenney starring and producing.
An Anthology Approach to Chaos
For fans worried about how a sprawling, geographically diverse franchise like “Far Cry” could work as a cohesive television series, Hawley has the answer: it won’t be cohesive—and that’s the point.
“What I love about the Far Cry game franchise is it’s an anthology,” Hawley explained. “Each game is a variation of a theme, the same way each season of Fargo is a variation on a theme. To create a big action show that can change from year to year, while always exploring the nature of humanity through this complex and chaotic lens is a dream come true.”
This anthology format is a natural fit for “Far Cry,” which has taken players from the mountains of Montana to the Himalayas, from tropical islands to fictional African nations, encountering cults, insane dictators, pirates, and every flavor of dangerous villain in between. Each game tells a self-contained story set in a new location with new characters, united by themes of survival, moral ambiguity, and the thin line between civilization and savagery.
The plan is for each season of the show to embrace a new setting, with McElhenney in the starring role across seasons—a structure that gives the series almost unlimited creative freedom while maintaining continuity through its lead actor.
“I’m excited to partner with Rob and bring our shared irreverent, ambitious sensibility to the screen,” Hawley added, hinting at the tonal approach the series will take.
McElhenney’s Reunion with Ubisoft
For McElhenney, the project represents a reunion with Ubisoft, the gaming giant behind “Far Cry.” He previously collaborated with the company on Apple TV+’s “Mythic Quest,” where he co-created, starred in, and produced the workplace comedy about a fictional video game development studio. That series, which Ubisoft Film & Television also produced, ran for four successful seasons and demonstrated McElhenney’s understanding of gaming culture and his ability to translate it for television audiences.
“Getting to work alongside Noah Hawley is a dream realized,” McElhenney said. “Ubisoft has been remarkably generous, entrusting us with one of the most iconic video-game worlds ever created. And through it all, my FX family continues to lift me up with their constant belief and support.”
That “FX family” reference is significant. McElhenney has a long relationship with the network through “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” which has run for an astonishing 16 seasons and counting, making it the longest-running live-action comedy series in American television history. His proven track record with FX, combined with his gaming credentials from “Mythic Quest,” makes him an ideal choice to anchor this ambitious adaptation.
Hawley’s Track Record of Excellence
Noah Hawley brings his own impressive pedigree to the project. He’s the creative mind behind FX’s anthology series “Fargo,” which has aired five critically acclaimed seasons to date. The show has collectively earned seven Emmy Awards from 70 nominations and three Golden Globes from 14 nominations—a testament to Hawley’s ability to craft compelling, character-driven stories that balance dark humor with serious themes.
Hawley also created the FX-Marvel series “Legion,” which ran for three innovative seasons and pushed the boundaries of what superhero television could be. Most recently, his sci-fi series “Alien: Earth” was renewed for a second season before its first season even premiered—a sign of FX’s confidence in Hawley’s vision and storytelling abilities.
His approach to “Fargo”—taking the Coen Brothers film as inspiration and spinning out new stories with different characters in different time periods, all connected by themes and tone rather than direct narrative continuity—provides a perfect template for how “Far Cry” might work as television.
Rich Source Material
The “Far Cry” franchise offers an embarrassment of riches when it comes to potential storylines and settings. Since the series’ modern reinvention with “Far Cry 3” in 2012, each mainline entry has explored different themes and locations:
- Far Cry 3 took players to a tropical island controlled by a charismatic, psychotic pirate named Vaas, exploring themes of privilege, violence, and the “white savior” complex
- Far Cry 4 moved to the fictional Himalayan country of Kyrat, caught in a civil war led by the flamboyant dictator Pagan Min
- Far Cry 5 controversially set its story in rural Montana, where a doomsday cult has taken over Hope County
- Far Cry 6 transported players to the Caribbean island nation of Yara, under the thumb of dictator Antón Castillo
Each game grapples with heavy political and social themes—colonialism, authoritarianism, religious extremism, American exceptionalism—while wrapping them in explosive action and dark humor. This combination of serious themes and over-the-top violence creates the “complex and chaotic lens” Hawley referenced, one that allows for examination of “the nature of humanity” through genre entertainment.
What to Expect
While details about the release date and specific storylines remain under wraps, we can make some educated guesses about what the series might look like based on the creative team’s comments.
The “irreverent, ambitious sensibility” that Hawley and McElhenney share suggests the show won’t take itself too seriously while still engaging with weighty themes. This tonal balance—serious ideas delivered with a sense of humor and self-awareness—has been a hallmark of both creators’ previous work.
McElhenney’s presence as the lead across different seasons creates an interesting challenge: How do you maintain character continuity while jumping between drastically different settings and situations? The games don’t have recurring protagonists (with a few exceptions), so the show will need to establish why McElhenney’s character keeps finding himself in these extreme situations. Perhaps he’s a journalist, a mercenary, an aid worker, or some other profession that justifiably takes him to dangerous places around the world.
The anthology format also allows the show to experiment with tone and genre from season to season. One season might lean more heavily into action-thriller territory, while another could emphasize survival horror elements or political intrigue.
The Video Game Adaptation Renaissance
The “Far Cry” series joins a growing list of video game properties being adapted for prestige television. Recent successes like “The Last of Us” on HBO, “Fallout” on Prime Video, and “Twisted Metal” on Peacock have proven that video game adaptations can work when handled by creators who respect the source material while understanding that different mediums require different storytelling approaches.
FX and Hulu’s involvement is particularly promising. Both platforms have established track records of supporting creator-driven, ambitious television that doesn’t compromise on quality or vision. The combination of their resources, Hawley’s creative genius, McElhenney’s star power and gaming bona fides, and Ubisoft’s willingness to trust these creators with their IP creates a recipe for something genuinely exciting.
When Will We See It?
With no release date announced and the project still in early development, fans will likely need to wait at least a year or two before “Far Cry” hits screens. Pre-production, casting for the large ensemble each season will require, location scouting (assuming they’ll film in diverse international locations rather than relying entirely on soundstages), and the complex action sequences the franchise is known for all take considerable time.
But if the result captures even a fraction of what makes the “Far Cry” games compelling—the exploration of moral ambiguity in extreme situations, the colorful villains, the explosive action, and the dark humor—it could become one of television’s most exciting new franchises.
As anyone who’s played a “Far Cry” game knows, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Fortunately, this adaptation is doing something different—and that just might be crazy enough to work.
