Microsoft is presenting Hollywood studios with a package of more than a dozen Xbox video game franchises to develop into new movies and television series.
The technology company is seeking to increase the film and television presence of properties controlled by its Xbox division, which includes major video game publishers Bethesda and Activision Blizzard.
The franchises offered include the science fiction series Halo, the massive multiplayer game World of Warcraft, the fantasy role-playing series The Elder Scrolls, and the dark fantasy game Diablo.
Microsoft is looking for a single Hollywood partner willing to commit to a long-term agreement, rather than negotiating the rights for each franchise separately with different studios.
Studios evaluate the proposal
Streaming platform Netflix, television and film company Paramount, and film distributor Universal are considering the proposal, according to a report by Matt Belloni in the digital media outlet Puck.
No agreement has been reached, and none of the companies involved have commented on the discussions.
Microsoft is asking for more than $300 million for the rights package. This entry price has already caused doubts for at least one of the potential buyers.
The effort to sell the package follows a major restructuring of Microsoft's video game division. The company is trying to maximize the value of the properties it acquired in recent years.
Microsoft bought Bethesda parent company ZeniMax Media for about $7.5 billion, and it acquired Activision Blizzard for approximately $68.7 billion. These acquisitions gave the company a massive catalog of intellectual property, bringing franchises like Doom and Overwatch under Microsoft control alongside its own historical properties.
Existing film commitments
Not all of Microsoft's video game franchises are available in the proposed macro agreement, as some already have commitments with other studios and platforms.
The post-apocalyptic role-playing game Fallout is currently a major television series on the Amazon streaming platform Prime Video. The block building game Minecraft remains attached to a film adaptation at Warner Bros after its box office success.
Netflix is developing projects based on the science fiction shooter series Gears of War. Paramount is working with Microsoft on a film based on the military shooter franchise Call of Duty.
Paramount also has a major history with the Halo franchise. The Paramount+ streaming service premiered a live-action series starring actor Pablo Schreiber in 2022, but the show was cancelled after two seasons.
The television rights to the franchise have returned to Xbox, allowing Microsoft to attempt to reboot Halo with a new adaptation if it reaches an agreement with another studio.
Warcraft and The Elder Scrolls
Universal is already familiar with one of the properties included in the package. The studio distributed Warcraft, a 2016 film directed by Duncan Jones based on the Blizzard universe.
The film earned nearly $439 million worldwide, performing strongly outside the United States despite a more modest box office result in the American market. The possibility of Universal studying the new package could lead to a return to the Warcraft universe, though no specific projects are currently announced.
The Elder Scrolls is another major brand in the package that could attract interest. The Bethesda fantasy series has not yet had a major film or television adaptation. An agreement would provide an opportunity to create a large-budget live-action production based on a universe that is highly popular with players.
The inclusion of Diablo expands the package into the dark fantasy and horror genres.
Recent video game adaptations like Fallout and Minecraft have increased Hollywood's interest in converting interactive properties into film and television franchises.
There are currently no new films or series based on Halo, Warcraft, The Elder Scrolls, or Diablo officially in production as a result of these discussions.
Microsoft is proposing a framework agreement that would allow a major studio or platform to access several of these franchises and develop projects from them over an extended period. If successful, Xbox would move from negotiating individual adaptations to building a coordinated film and television strategy around its largest video game universes.
