FX’s upcoming adaptation of Far Cry has cast Lizzy Caplan, who is best known for Freaks and Geeks, Mean Girls, and Cloverfield.
Last year, FX and Ubisoft confirmed that Noah Hawley (showrunner of Fargo and Alien: Earth) will helm an adaptation of Far Cry. The show will be an anthology series with each season telling a new story with a new cast, not unlike the games. As of right now, details are scarce on what the first season will look like, but it’s hard to imagine a Far Cry story without a unique location and a psychotic villain.
Caplan’s role is being kept under wraps, but she will star alongside It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’s Rob Mac (formerly known as Rob McElhenney). Mac’s role is also a mystery, but he will also executive-produce the upcoming TV series. Hawley previously stated that he was drawn to the show because Far Cry’s structure allows for a wide variety of storytelling opportunities.
“What I love about the Far Cry game franchise is it’s an anthology,” said Hawley. “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. I’m excited to partner with Rob and bring our shared irreverent, ambitious sensibility to the screen.”
Hawley came under fire earlier this year after making some comments that sounded dismissive of gaming’s storytelling capabilities. The filmmaker stated that “games are built in a way that doesn’t make for the best drama,” and received pushback from players as well as the director of Far Cry 4, Alex Hutchinson.
“My biggest problem is the dismissal of the game stories as pointless,” Hutchinson said, addressing Hawley’s comments directly. “His position isn’t without merit, and his adaptations of Alien and Fargo also basically threw away history. This worked well in Fargo but less well in Alien, which turned into a kind of weird Peter Pan gets a dog story instead of remaining true to the best elements of the brand. I think gamers just want to feel their loves are respected not dismissed as they often were historically.”
As of right now, there’s no premiere date for Far Cry and production seemingly hasn’t even begun, but the casting news does suggest things are ramping up. A new Far Cry game is also in the works at Ubisoft, but the studio has yet to officially unveil it.
(Photo by Noam Galai/WireImage)
Cade Onder is a freelancer for IGN’s news team. He covers all things entertainment, including gaming, film, and more. You can find him on Twitter @Cade_Onder.
