Skip to main content

Sonic the Hedgehog writers will adapt It Takes Two as a film

Hazelight Studios’ It Takes Two was among the breakout video game hits of 2021. Now, the newfound franchise is heading to the big screen. Variety is reporting that Hazelight Studios has signed a deal with dj2 Entertainment to adapt It Takes Two for both film and television. Sonic the Hedgehog screenwriters Pat Casey and Josh Miller have signed on to handle the script for the It Takes Two movie.

It Takes Two is the story of a married couple, Cody and May, on the verge of ending their union. When their young daughter, Rose, reacts badly to the news of their impending divorce, Cody and May inexplicably find themselves trapped in the dolls that Rose created for them. In order to return to their real bodies, Cody and May are forced to work together by their therapist, Dr. Hakim, who has similarly been transformed into his own therapy book. The game is unique in that it doesn’t allow gamers to play by themselves. Instead, the only way to enjoy the experience is with two players, either online or local co-op.

Recommended Videos

“The reception of It Takes Two has been absolutely stellar from press and players alike,” said Hazelight Studio Manager Oskar Wolontis. “We’re very excited for the opportunity to expand this beloved IP beyond gaming, for both new and returning fans to appreciate.”

Cody and May in It Takes Two.
Hazelight Studios

Josef Fares, the founder and creative director of Hazelight, also shared a statement about the deal: “Creating the world and story in It Takes Two was so much fun for me and the team. Since it has a strong narrative with many crazy characters and just as crazy co-op action moments, the potential is huge for a great adaption to film or television.”

Please enable Javascript to view this content

“Dj2 is honored to partner with Josef, Oskar [Wolontis], and the incredible team at Hazelight Studios on the linear media adaptation of It Takes Two,” added dj2 CEO and founder Dmitri M. Johnson. “Just like the rest of the gaming world, we fell head over heels in love with Cody, May, Rose, Dr. Hakim and the imaginative fantasy universe Hazelight have created, and can’t wait to bring these characters — and this world — to life on the big and small screen.”

Sonic the Hedgehog and It Takes Two aren’t the only two video game adaptations being produced by dj2. The company is also behind the upcoming Tomb Raider animated series on Netflix, and is producing a Sleeping Dogs film and a Disco Elysium TV show. For more on It Takes Two, check out Digital Trends’ review of the game.

Blair Marnell
Blair Marnell has been an entertainment journalist for over 15 years. His bylines have appeared in Wizard Magazine, Geek…
Before Dune: Part Two, Denis Villeneuve made 2 unnerving Jake Gyllenhaal thrillers
Jake Gyllenhaal pushes an identical Jake Gyllenhaal in a still from the movie Enemy

Sometimes, it’s difficult to account for the trajectory of a Hollywood career — to see the logic of a hitmaker’s ascendant path from small to enormous movies. What, for example, did studio executives detect in the quirky indie comedy Safety Not Guaranteed that convinced them, erroneously, that Colin Trevorrow was the right choice to take over the Jurassic Park franchise? Other times, the leap to the majors makes more sense. Just ask anyone who’s been keeping up with the filmography of Denis Villeneuve, who once made French-Canadian art movies but now sits at the helm of the biggest multiplex event of the year so far.

The rumbling bombast of Dune: Part Two did not come out of nowhere. Rather, it represents a steady upscaling of its visionary’s vision — not a left turn so much as the culmination of an approach that’s always leaned large. Watch an earlier Villeneuve movie, like his Oscar-nominated, homegrown war drama Incendies, and you can see telltale signs of an embryonic blockbuster sensibility, a muscular talent waiting to break into a new budget bracket and sprawl across the canvas of an IMAX screen. Dune is merely the fullest realization of what you could call his signature style: heavy with portent, perched on the ledge between action and horror, easy on the eyes, and serious as cancer.

Read more
3 reasons why Dune: Part Two is better than Dune: Part One
Timothée Chalamet gazes upon a distant explosion in a still from "Dune: Part Two."

In retrospect, the decision to push back the release of Dune: Part Two has paid off magnificently for Warner Bros. and Legendary Entertainment. Rather than risking the chance of the actors not being able to promote the film because of the SAG-AFTRA strike, the studios delayed the sequel to March, and it has subsequently doubled the opening weekend numbers of Dune: Part One.

Of course, it helps that Dune: Part Two wasn't released simultaneously on streaming like its predecessor was. But that's not the only cause for Part Two's dramatic increase. Keep reading for the three reasons why Dune: Part Two is better than Dune: Part One, and then race out to theaters to see this sequel on the biggest screen you can.
The massive scale of Dune is even bigger in Dune: Part Two

Read more
Here’s why Dune: Part One is still better than Dune: Part Two
Two men stand next to each other in Dune.

After several years of hype and anticipation, Dune is back. Denis Villeneuve's mammoth adaptation of the Frank Herbert novel of the same name has gotten the sequel treatment, and Dune: Part 2 is receiving many of the same plaudits and praise that Part 1 received when it was released in 2021. It grossed over $80 million in its opening weekend, and is on the path to outdo its predecessor.

Now that we have two parts to compare, though, the natural question is which is better. While Part 2 is certainly more action forward, and a lot of the setup from Part 1 is paid off in the sequel, here are some reasons why Part 1 may still be the better movie.
Dune gave us our first look at Arrakis
Arrival To Arrakis | Dune (2021) [4K 60FPS]

Read more