With a couple of years gone since it was announced, Josef Fares has a candid update forDwayne Johnson’s adaptation of his acclaimed video game. Johnson is one of the biggest multihyphenate creatives currently working, generally having at least one major blockbuster project releasing per year. Last year actually saw two long-gestating projects of his finally make their way to the screen with the Christmas action comedyRed Oneandthe Disney animated sequelMoana 2, which became the third-highest-grossing movie of 2024 and outgrossing its predecessor with $1.04 billion.
As he’s ventured between the worlds of action, comedy and animation throughout his acting career,Johnson has also occasionally explored the video game adaptation genre. After getting started with the infamously pannedDoommovie, he found better success with the movie adaptation of the monster action gameRampage, as well as a loose video game film in the form of hisJumanjilegacy sequels. While he’s finallyset to return forJumanji 4, which is scheduled for a December 2026 release date, one adaptation on Johnson’s docket might not be getting enough of his attention.
The It Takes Two Movie Adaptation Is In An Unclear State Of Development
Game Creator Josef Fares Is Not Too Pleased About The Lack Of Progress
BeforeJumanji 4was finally confirmed to be moving forward, Johnson signed on to help produce and potentially star in anIt Takes Twomovie adaptation, though creator Josef Fares indicates the project may be stalled. Developed by Hazelight Studios, the 2021 adventure game revolved around a couple on the verge of divorce who are magically transformed into dolls and attempt to find a way to reverse their condition while confronting the devolution of their marriage. Both anIt Takes Twomovie and TV show were said to be in the works in early 2022.
Now, during an interview withEurogamerto discuss Hazelight’s upcoming gameSplit Fiction,Fares says he has no idea what’s going on with theIt Takes Twomovie. The co-creator started with some very candid thoughts on the development process, feeling that “90% of the meetings are actually bulls–t” and that his “hopes are not so high” for the movie to get off the ground, while also expressing his belief if he was involved, it would move along sooner. See what Fares said below:
Hollywood, there’s so much bulls–t. I think 90% of the meetings are actually bulls–t, and 10% are what actually happens. The thing is, there’s a lot of talk, but not a lot of walk. I don’t know what’s going on. Hopefully something. It would be cool to get something out of it, but my hopes are not so high. Obviously, there’s a lot of talk, but you have to have the people that get s–t done. If I would be really involved in it, it would happen. I just need a couple of months in LA, and I’ll make it happen. I don’t have the time… but, I would make s–t happen. That’s my job. [Dwayne Johnson] probably doesn’t even know what the project is like. Maybe it’s just his company, or something.
What Fares' It Takes Two Update Means For The Movie
Johnson May Not Be Entirely To Blame
As easy as it is to point the finger at Johnson’s busy schedule being why the movie hasn’t made progress,there are other major elements that are likely impactingIt Takes Two’s progress. One of the bigger ones is that the movie is set to be written by Pat Casey and Josh Miller, the creative duo behind the successfulSonic the Hedgehogmovie franchise. In addition to being confirmed for its fourth movie, they also have been busy with theViolent Night 2script,sharing withScreenRantjust this past Decemberthe following promising progress update on it:
Josh Miller: We’re closing in on trying to get a draft out, so we’re well underway. Mildly distracting to have Sonic 3 dropping at the same time as our deadline, but I guess champagne problems. [Laughs]
Pat Casey: Yeah, as soon as we get off this morning’s interviews, we’re right back into the Violent Night 2 salt mines, but I think it’s going to be a lot of fun. I wish we had a date to announce, but we don’t yet. But everybody really wants to get it going, so hopefully soon, we’ll have more solid information. But it’s a little hard to schedule around David Harbour, currently, on account of he’s a busy man with certain other giant mega franchises that, unfortunately, seem to get scheduling priority over us, for some inexplicable reason.
Another likely hurdle the movie is facing ishow exactly to translateIt Takes Twofor the screen, with the writing duo indicating in January 2023 that they were looking to “vary up all the sequences” from the game to better fit a movie mold. While they’ve found success mixing direct game adaptation and original story withtheirSonicmovies, the recent success of HBO’sThe Last of Ushas also shown how a close adherence to the source material can be just as well-received.
10 Upcoming Movie & TV Video Game Adaptations We’re Most Excited About
There are plenty of video game movies and TV shows in development promising to adapt popular series, from recent multiplayer hits to old classics.
That being said, Johnson’s busy schedule is likely still a hefty factor inIt Takes Two’s lengthier development. When he and Seven Bucks joined Amazon MGM for the project, it was also reported that he was in early talks to also star, though nothing had been official at that time. If his busy film schedule withthe live-actionMoanaand hisFast & Furiousreturn have distracted him from having a closer oversight onIt Takes Two, it seems entirely possible that proper updates won’t be coming any time soon.
Source:Eurogamer
It Takes Two
It Takes Two is an action-adventure cooperative game from Hazelight Studios - and follows married couple Cody and May on the outs of their relationship. After telling their daughter they’re getting a divorce, her heartfelt wish to keep them together transforms them into clay and yarn dolls that must reconcile their differences to return to normal. Guided by the eccentric relationship guru book Dr. Hakim, Cody and May will embark on an epic journey in their home (and backyard) to get to the root of their problems.
