Maisy Stella joins 'Meek' star as leads in Prime Video's 'Life Is Strange' game-to-TV adaptation
Prime Video's 'Life Is Strange' live-action series has found its Chloe and Max. 'Meek' alum Tatum Grace Hopkins and 'Nashville' star Maisy Stella essay the roles, respectively. Based on the video game franchise of the same name, the series was written by Charlie Covill and announced in development at the streamer last year. The official logline sees Max, "a photography student, who discovers she can rewind time while saving the life of her childhood best friend, Chloe. As she struggles to understand this new skill, the pair investigates the mysterious disappearance of a fellow student, uncovering a dark side to their town that will ultimately force them to make an impossible life-or-death choice that will impact them forever."
Stella enters the picture as a renowned musician. She showcased her acting chops as Daphne Conrad on ABC's music drama 'Nashville' throughout the show's six-season run, and made her major film debut in 'My Old Ass,' followed by 'Poetic License'. Her next project, 'Flowervale Street', alongside Anne Hathaway and Ewan McGregor, is set to premiere later this year. As for Hopkins, 'Life Is Strange' marks her TV debut. She is primarily a stage actress known for 'Meek', 'The Queen of Versailles', and 'For the Girls' — the last two being Broadway productions. At the time of writing, casting is still underway. Covell also serves as the showrunner and executive producer. Joining him as EPs are Dmitri M. Johnson, Mike Goldberg, and Timothy I. Stevenson for Story Kitchen. There is no official release date set by Prime Video yet, but speculations are rife that a late 2027 release is on the cards. This will be one of the major game-to-TV adaptations after the 'God of War' series starring Ryan Hurst (also in development).
"Story Kitchen has always believed that ‘Life is Strange’ deserved to be more than just a game—it’s a cultural touchstone,” said Story Kitchen’s Johnson and Goldberg in a statement, according to Variety. "After a decade-long journey, we’re honored to be bringing this beloved story to Amazon MGM alongside our incredible partners at Square Enix, our brilliant showrunner/writer Charlie Covell, and the amazing team at LuckyChap. Together, this thoughtfully assembled dream team is ready to share Life is Strange with the world in an entirely new way!" The same statement also saw Covell express his excitement. "I am a massive fan of the game, and I’m thrilled to be working with the incredible teams at Square Enix, Story Kitchen, and LuckyChap. I can’t wait to share Max and Chloe’s story with fellow players and new audiences alike."
The first edition of 'Life Is Strange' opened to positive reviews in 2015. The success of the first game led to a prequel, 'Life is Strange: Before the Storm' in 2017. This was followed by 'Life is Strange 2' in 2018, featuring new characters. A string of standalone games was developed by Dontnod Entertainment and later Deck Nine. 'Life is Strange: True Colors' in 2021 and 'Life is Strange: Double Exposure' starring Max as the protagonist, released in 2024.
