A live-action “Life Is Strange” TV series has been greenlit at Amazon Prime Video, Variety has learned exclusively.
Based on the video game franchise of the same name, the show will be written by Charlie Covell, who also serves as executive producer and showrunner. Dmitri M. Johnson, Mike Goldberg, and Timothy I. Stevenson will executive produce under their Story Kitchen banner. The series comes from Square Enix, Story Kitchen, and LuckyChap, with Amazon MGM Studios producing.
“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. “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!”
Per the official logline, the story follows 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 investigate 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.”
“It’s a huge honor to be adapting ‘Life Is Strange’ for Amazon MGM Studios,” Covell said. “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 “Life Is Strange” game was released in 2015 to positive reviews, industry praise and award nominations and wins. In 2023, it was reported that the game had reached over 20 million total players. The original game was followed by the prequel “Life Is Strange: Before the Storm” in 2017. “The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit” and “Life Is Strange 2,” which focused on new characters, were released in 2018. These were followed by another standalone game, “Life Is Strange: True Colors,” in 2021. “Life Is Strange: Double Exposure,” which once again featured Max as the protagonist, came out in 2024. The games were developed by Don’t Nod Entertainment and later Deck Nine with Square Enix serving as publisher.
“We’ve been huge fans of the visionary Charlie Covell for years, so partnering with them on the adaptation of Life is Strange is truly a dream come true,” said LuckyChap. “Charlie is an exceptional steward of revered IP, and we feel incredibly fortunate to have them at the helm of such an original, beloved and culturally resonant video game. We’re also deeply grateful to be collaborating with our friends at Amazon MGM Studios, Story Kitchen and Square Enix and can’t wait to bring Chloe, Max, and Arcadia Bay to life.”
There have been attempts to develop “Life Is Strange” for television for nearly a decade. Legendary Television was originally set to produce, while Johnson has been involved in the project since the beginning. This marks the first time a TV version of the game has been formally ordered to series, however.
“For years we’ve had so many people asking us to create a ‘Life is Strange’ TV show and we’re so pleased to finally partner with Amazon MGM Studios who we trust will do an incredible job bringing our universe to life” said Jon Brooke and Lee Singleton, studio heads at Square Enix.
Covell is best known for writing the Netflix dark comedy series “The End of the F***ing World,” which was based on the graphic novel of the same name by Charles Forsman. Most recently, they created the Netflix drama “Kaos” and co-created the British drama “Truelove” with Iain Weatherby. Their additional writing credits include the series “Humans” and the feature film “Burn Burn Burn.”
“We’re so excited for our global Prime Video customers to experience the dynamic world of ‘Life Is Strange,’” said Nick Pepper, head of US SVOD TV & development series for Amazon MGM Studios. “The series is in wonderful hands with Charlie Covell who has crafted a deeply captivating story based on the iconic video game. Charlie, and their fantastic collaborators at LuckyChap, Story Kitchen, and Square Enix, are the perfect team to deliver a monumental adaptation that will captivate devoted fans and new audiences alike.”
This marks the latest game adaptation to find a home at Prime Video. Most recently, it was reported that the long-awaited “Tomb Raider” series from Phoebe Waller-Bridge and starring Sophie Turner, another Story Kitchen production, would begin shooting in January 2026. Prime Video also currently airs the series version of “Fallout,” with Season 2 of that show set to launch in December with a third season already ordered.
Other game-based shows in the works at Prime Video include a “Wolfenstein” series, a “Mass Effect” TV series, a “God of War” series (which originally got greenlit in 2022), and a series based on the tabletop wargame “Warhammer 40,000” starring Henry Cavill.
Covell is repped by LARK and UTA. Story Kitchen is repped by WME & Pryor Cashman. LuckyChap is repped by CAA, Entertainment 360, and Jackoway Austen Tyerman.