We’ve seen a lot of Hollywood reboots lately, but we’ve never seen one quite as daring or imaginative as the upcoming War Games reboot series.
A wildly different take on the classic 1983 film, the new War Games — stylized as #WarGames — is a six-part live-action series that allows the audience to customize their viewing experience. What does that mean exactly? Viewers will have access to different video feeds throughout the episodes with which they can interact, and that will affect the outcome of the story. Here’s how the series’ press release describes it:
“Viewers will follow Jess Nurse (Scandal, Grace and Frankie) as Kelly, an ex-military brat turned hacker activist, as she and a team of international hackers band together in an attempt to bring about peace. As events escalate, they may have done more harm than good. Viewers influence the story by switching between video feeds and the series ‘learns’ from their choices, resulting in experiences that are unique and personal.”
The original film took place at the height of the Cold War and featured a teen inadvertently accessing a military supercomputer and nearly starting a nuclear world war, so a reboot would always need to find new ways to update the story. With the focus on altruistic hackers who also know what they’re doing, combined with the corresponding tech involved in the viewing experience, producers MGM and Eko appear to have done just that. For a glimpse of what this will all look like, take a peek at the new trailer below.
“#WarGames brings together a cast of talented newcomers, gripping narrative and seamless interactivity, giving the audience a deep personal stake in the story as it unfolds,” said Yoni Bloch, CEO of Eko. “The show ‘watches’ your actions, learns your preferences, and adapts intelligently. #WarGames is a perfect example of the types of stories Eko’s technology makes possible, and we’re thrilled to make the series available across multiple platforms so viewers can enjoy it wherever they are and at their own pace.”
#WarGames is set to premiere on March 14, and will be available on HelloEko.com, the Eko iOS app, Vudu.com, Steam, and will be coming soon to Xbox One.
