The television series will explore a new narrative within the Night City setting.
CD Projekt Red, after successfully reviving Cyberpunk 2077, is now venturing into the realm of television. The studio recently revealed a collaboration with production company Anonymous Content on a “live-action project” set in the Cyberpunk 2077 universe, specifically Night City.
While the project is still in its early stages and lacks a screenwriter (although the search for one is ongoing), CD Projekt stated that it is working “directly” with Garret Kemble, head of television at Anonymous Content Studios, and various other executives and producers. This endeavor is being developed “in close collaboration with the Cyberpunk 2077 creative team.”
Anonymous Content, with over two decades of experience, has been involved in numerous television and film productions, including hits like True Detective, Schitt’s Creek, The Revenant, 13 Reasons Why, and Random Acts of Flyness. The company is also involved in the live-action adaptation of the Life is Strange video game, albeit with a lengthy development process.
CD Projekt has already seen success with television adaptations, most notably with The Witcher on Netflix, which was a massive hit. While The Witcher is based on the books rather than the game, the game’s influence on Henry Cavill’s portrayal of Geralt is evident. Additionally, the Cyberpunk: Edgerunners anime received positive feedback, making Night City an intriguing setting for various storytelling possibilities.
The choice to attribute this show to CD Projekt’s game world rather than the R. Talsorian tabletop game, on which the video game is based, is due to the differences in timelines. The original tabletop RPG was set in the 2020s, while subsequent editions advanced the timeline to the 2030s and eventually to 2045, decades before CD Projekt’s version of Night City. This divergence provides ample creative freedom for storytelling.
This announcement marks a significant turnaround for Cyberpunk 2077, which faced a tumultuous launch in 2020 and was temporarily removed from the PlayStation Store by Sony. The release of the 2.0 update and the Phantom Liberty expansion substantially improved the game’s overall quality, resulting in a surge of players and achieving the highest concurrent player count since January 2021. Furthermore, the game continues to sell well, with CD Projekt reporting over 25 million copies sold, following the 20 million mark reached just a year ago.
