Secret Level creator fears fans, not critics

Secret Level is Prime Video's latest big budget video game to TV project, following on from its massively successful adaptation of Fallout earlier this year.

Hollywood's increasingly been looking to games - which often have ready made, enthusiastic fanbases - as a source of new shows and films.

Amazon and Games Workshop just announced a deal for the streamer to create films and TV series set in its Warhammer universes.

One of Secret Level's episodes is based on Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, a big hit this year for developer Saber Interactive.

Secret Level's director Dave Wilson says the game's universe has "40 years of lore" behind it, which has to be balanced with the needs of a TV adaptation.

He gives the example of the space marines, who live by the credo "they shall know no fear".

"If you take that too literally you can't really have a hero make a choice if he's not afraid of the consequences of that choice, right?," says Dave.

"So there is the literal interpretation of what that means, and then there's the storytelling interpretation."

Secret Level stars a host of big-name Hollywood actors including Keanu Reeves, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Kevin Hart.

But it also features performances from actors who are known for their work in videogames, such as Laura Bailey, who appeared in The Last of Us: Part II.

Clive Standen, who voiced the main character in this year's hit Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, reprises the same role in the episode based around the game.

Video game actors have a much higher profile than they used to, and Dave believes fans want to support the actors behind their favourite characters and enjoy the "continuity" of seeing them in spin-off projects.

"So much of the success is built from those actors setting those franchises up," he says.

"I think it's weird in a way just to sort of cast them aside when Hollywood comes calling."

Tim points out that the movie stars who got involved were interested in the subject matter.

"It's not like it's a huge paycheque for them," he says.

"There's so many people in the world that play games, it is a huge clubhouse now.

"And there's a lot of movie stars that are in that clubhouse. They play video games too."

Reviews of Secret Level so far have ranged from very positive to less enthusiastic, with critics agreeing and disagreeing on their favourite episodes.

When the creators of the show speak to Newsbeat they admit to having some fear about how the public will receive the show.

Discussion around gaming online can frequently become heated.

One game included in the 15 episodes is Concord - Sony's short-lived online shooter the PlayStation maker pulled offline after less than two weeks.

Its developer and staff who'd worked on the project were subjected to online abuse.

Tim hopes that temperatures won't run so high in discussions around Secret Level.

"I would say in general that I wish that there was less toxicity in the discourse, whether it's on the internet or in the public sphere," he says.

"Because it just stops people from wanting to communicate with each other.

"I would love to see that go down a little bit and everybody realise that sometimes you may not hit the mark, but most people are earnest and trying to do a good job and trying to create something."

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