Stray is getting an animated film adaptation

BlueTwelve Studio and Annapurna Interactive’s adorable feline adventure game Stray is getting adapted into an animated film. The movie will be produced by the game’s publisher’s animation branch, Annapurna Animation.

Robert Baird, head of Annapurna Animation, discussed the upcoming Stray movie in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. “This is a game that’s all about what makes us human, and there are no humans in it,” he advised. “It’s a buddy comedy about a cat and a robot, and there’s such a hilarious dynamic. So, there’s comedy inherent in this, but there’s not one human being in this movie. I think it’s one of the reasons why the game was incredibly popular, that you are seeing the world through the point of view of an adorable cat. How did they pull that off, and how are we going to pull that off in the movie? We will, even though sometimes it feels impossible, but we know that’s the essence of the game and the key to telling the story.”

In particular, Baird emphasised that he wants the Stray movie to be a “hopepunk” story, emphasising positivity, kindness and optimism as rebellious weapons. “I love that term, hopepunk,” he said. “I think, if we are going to do this adaptation justice, this is going to be the first and greatest hopepunk movie that’s ever been made.”

Although the project is seemingly in early days, Nick Bruno has been announced as director. Bruno also directed Annapurna Animation’s other recent acclaimed animated movie adaptation Nimona, which was distributed via Netflix and based on ND Stevenson’s graphic novel. With the Super Mario Bros Movie having been one of the year’s most lucrative films, now seems as good a time as any for another animated movie based on a game to enter production. The Stray video game was widely acclaimed, landing on our (and many other outlets’) top games of 2022 rankings, among other accolades. With the lack of a human perspective, the game’s story might have to be altered somewhat for the new medium, but there’s no reason it can’t work.

It will likely be a while until we receive more news of the Stray movie, such as voice cast or how it will be distributed. Considering the source material and pedigree of the director and animation studio, this movie will be something worth looking forward to.