The upcoming Sims live-action adaptation has received a production update. Collider reported that Amazon will also be involved in the project and Loki’s director, Kate Herron, will be involved as well. While it has yet to be revealed who will star in the film, fans wondered what could be in it and what it would be about.
For those who haven’t played The Sims, it’s a life simulator game that was first released in 2000 and had 4 iterations and a handful of spin-offs. Hidden in the game’s details (eg: item descriptions, household backstories, etc) contain some lore, whether it’s about the neighbourhood’s history, the occults, or the people in general. Due to this, figuring out what The Sims movie may entail has proved challenging, as anything could happen.
As someone who has watched many adaptations of popular video games, I have some ideas of what I think would be the best approach a Sims movie could take and what story this film should tell. So Margot Robbie, take notes!
1. Inside jokes as easter eggs
Just like the Barbie movie, make the inside jokes part of the worldbuilding in the Sims movie. It would be so boring or cheesy to see “sim dying in the pool” be a plot or side plot. I would rather see references to chaotic sim gameplay in a newspaper clipping or TV news bulletin. Imagine jumping out of your seat and laughing when you the headline “SIM DIED IN POOL, MARKING 5TH INCIDENT THIS MONTH” or you hear on the radio that someone won a radio prize because they said the codeword “MOTHERLODE”.
2. Bring back the aliens
One of my favourite characters in the whole Sims franchise is Emperor Xizzle. He was a character in The Sims 2 DS game (which is different from its PC counterpart). This guy was seen as a leader of the alien species and was the main antagonist for the player. There are many ways to incorporate this. In most games, these creatures appear when you achieve certain tasks. However, in later games, you can play as them. Perhaps our protagonist is an alien hybrid trying to find answers to their identity.
3. Make the soundtrack in Simlish
I don’t care if the entire film is said in English (with maybe some Sul Sul and Dag Dag sprinkled in), but at least make the music in Simlish. Aside from the official covers sung in the language, the game also produces original music with no official English version. Case in point, listen to Again and Again by Wri Gaddison from the Sims 4 soundtrack or Betrayed by Tiny Dancer in Sims 3. Both tracks are entirely in Simlish and don’t have any official releases. So please, for the love of video game music and the love of the Simlish language, have the songs sung in that language.
4. Invite celebrities who were featured in Sims games
Speaking of the Simlish language, there have been celebrities who have put in the time and effort to learn the language so that they could cover their songs for the game. Not to mention, celebrities and influencers have been inserted in the game as meetable NPCs, like Hilary Duff, Baby Ariel, and Eurovision star, Bilal Hassani in Sims 4. So don’t be afraid to insert notable people. If it worked in the Barbie movie and The Muppets, why not here?
5. Set it in Strangetown, and only Strangetown
The Sims has many worlds and cities to visit. But for the sake of simplicity, have it all set in Strangetown. After all, that location tends to be available in a variety of Sims titles to the point where it’s kind of confusing what type of town this is. Heck, Sims 4 somewhat changed the name to Strangerville. But that’s good because set designers and writers could incorporate all these things. Bring back that hotel from Sims 2 in the DS. Mention the secret lab in Sims 4. Strangetown has so many weird tales to tell, and that’s just one town in the game.
6. Make the plot about this hidden Sims 4 feature
When playing Sims 4 (with the expansion packs), you might be given this phone call scenario where your character gets the chance to learn about “the simulation.” Basically, your sim would get the opportunity to learn the truth of their existence. Unfortunately, only a handful of players managed to witness this feature. This concept isn’t something that exists in the Sims. Other titles such as 2007’s The Simpsons Game and Animal Crossing have referenced that they might be in a video game or that another being is out there watching them. So why not go all Truman Show for this adaptation and have our hero have the opportunity to learn the same thing? There is a reason why subreddits like r/Glitch_in_the_Matrix and the concept of Simulation theory exist. Make our hero paranoid that they’re in a sim.
These are just some ideas on what I think a Sims live-action film should include and what type of story it could tell. What made other adaptations great was how they tried to capture the essence of the original source material. But at the same time, The Sims franchise allowed players to tell their own story in this life sim, as well as give the player a chance to learn about the worlds their characters are living in. EA, Margot Robbie, and Amazon have a lot of work to do to ensure this project doesn’t end up as a weird and terrible cash grab. Hopefully, what I’ve suggested could help point them in the right direction.
Or maybe ignore what I said and make it all about Bella Goth.
About the Author
Erielle Sudario
If she's not podcasting, Erielle Sudario is seen either playing Baldurs Gate 3, The Sims, or a really cute cozy indie game that she found either in conventions or on TikTok. Outside of gaming, she's either embracing her inner Swiftie, building keyboards, or watching shows/films in theatres or streaming platforms.
