HBO options Indie Game: The Movie for series

HBO is limbering up for a TV drama tackling the most harrowing and difficult subject it's approached yet: indie video games. It's early days yet, but the cable channel has optioned documentary Indie Game: The Movie to make a fiction series.

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HBO is limbering up for a television drama tackling its most difficult and harrowing subject yet: indie video games. It's early days yet, but the American cable channel has unexpectedly optioned documentary Indie Game: The Movie to make a half-hour series. And in true indie style, it's already been misunderstood.

The initial report from Deadline said that Home Box Office's series would be a comedy, raising more than a few eyebrows in the indie community. However, the original documentary's makers Lisanne Pajot and James Swirsky insist that's not the case.

"HBO has optioned IGTM for the basis of a (fictional) series. It is NOT a comedy. It is NOT a sitcom," the pair explained on Facebook.

The documentary follows the trials and tribulations of the developers behind Braid, Super Meat Boy, and Fez. Presumably HBO's series will be inspired more by the tone and struggle than the men themselves, though we must say James Van Der Beek would make a mean Phil Fish.

"The people involved, the network involved - all are, BY FAR, the best people possible to make this show," Pajot and Swirsky say. "We are ecstatic about the possibilities of working with this team. All you need to do is look at the list of HBO series titles & [producer] Scott Rudin's IMDB and you can see why we think this is a brilliant thing. We want to see this show happen. We want to watch this show."

Do remember that optioning something doesn't guarantee it'll be made, merely that it could. The documentary made its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on Friday, then will have a theatrical release followed by the DVD. Here's a peek at it:

From The Chatty
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    January 23, 2012 9:30 AM

    Alice O'Connor posted a new article, HBO options Indie Game: The Movie for series.

    HBO is limbering up for a TV drama tackling the most harrowing and difficult subject it's approached yet: indie video games. It's early days yet, but the cable channel has optioned documentary Indie Game: The Movie to make a fiction series.

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      January 23, 2012 9:43 AM

      [deleted]

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        January 23, 2012 9:46 AM

        Dont worry, they'll be wacky hip characters and they all hang out and make the game in their "office" which is somebodys basement and eventually there will be a murder mystery and the killer left his tracks IN THE GAME

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        January 23, 2012 9:52 AM

        I am guessing the final product will probably be somewhere between Ricky Gervais' Extras and the Jace Hall show.

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        January 23, 2012 9:54 AM

        Flight of the Conchords with games instead of guitars. INTERESTED NOW AREN'T WE.

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        January 23, 2012 10:32 AM

        We've been trying to make a doc series on gaming for a few years now. Despite having some experienced people attached it's surprisingly hard to find a broadcaster that thinks it will work for them.

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          January 23, 2012 10:53 AM

          Makes sense. A video game documentary is like a making of special feature without any famous people. Just gonna take time for people to care.

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      January 23, 2012 9:46 AM

      meh. i predict awfulness here.

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      January 23, 2012 9:47 AM

      HBO Big Bang Theory - with the token quirky normal girl and the spergin "sheldon".

      This time minus a laugh track

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      January 23, 2012 9:51 AM

      "And in true indie style, it's already been misunderstood."
      Never change, Alice.

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      January 23, 2012 10:11 AM

      [deleted]

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      January 23, 2012 10:17 AM

      Is this what's replacing Entourage??

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      January 23, 2012 10:18 AM

      Optioning does not mean a series will happen, though.

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        January 23, 2012 10:45 AM

        Indeed, which is exactly why I wrote in the story, "Do remember that optioning something doesn't guarantee it'll be made, merely that it could."

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          January 23, 2012 11:00 AM

          I bet you just edited that now that super sparker clued you in though

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            January 23, 2012 11:01 AM

            And why the story summary says, "It's early days yet."

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              January 23, 2012 11:14 AM

              pfft that could just mean the project is in its production infancy!

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      January 23, 2012 11:33 AM

      Sucks that they are going the fiction route. There's lots of compelling drama in this business, the problem is getting people to talk. It's still a small enough industry that if you bitch about someone well connected it can fuck you over.

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      January 23, 2012 11:53 AM

      What's the point? You're not going to get a more nuanced and realistic depiction of game development better than Code Monkeys. Well, at least in my experience.

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      January 23, 2012 12:17 PM

      seems like people are thinking it's going to be a comedy instead of a boring documentary about people working on code?

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