A Horizon Zero Dawn series was locked in at Netflix, with the streaming platform set to adapt the PlayStation games. Though is the project still moving ahead? Here’s everything we know.
Horizon Forbidden West followed our favorite redhead warrior to uncharted territory. In the sequel to Horizon Zero Dawn, the RPG expanded the world, introduced romance, and forced Aloy to accept she’s no longer a lone wolf.
The games cultivated a lush, gorgeous world — full of deadly machines, mysteries from the past, and unlikely allies. Cinematic and special, it makes sense for this world to get adapted. Yet despite a deal being inked with Netflix, the project may no longer be moving ahead.
Let’s dig into everything we know about the proposed Horizon TV show.
Contents:
- Has the Horizon Zero Dawn Netflix series been scrapped?
- Horizon Zero Dawn series cast speculation
- What could the Horizon Zero Dawn series plot be about?
Has the Horizon Zero Dawn Netflix series been scrapped?
Netflix is reportedly no longer moving ahead with an adaptation of Horizon Zero Dawn, according to reports from Rolling Stone. News broke on July 3 in the midst of controversy surrounding planned showrunner Steve Blackman.
The Umbrella Academy Showrunner was caught in a string of allegations relating to toxic behavior in the workplace, with one HR complaint accusing Blackman of being a “manipulative and chaotic showrunner.”
Days after these accusations surfaced, Rolling Stone followed up to report that two of Blackman’s future Netflix projects “are no longer moving forward.” One of those projects was reported to be the Horizon Zero Dawn adaptation.
At the time of writing, Netflix nor Sony has commented on the situation at hand. We’ll be sure to update you here when that changes.
We first heard about the idea of a Horizon TV series in 2022 though news was quiet until CES 2024. At the tech event, we heard that writing on the series had begun, though no further information was provided.
The working title was rumored to be Horizon 2074, though we never got any official confirmation on this point. Some believed that it could be ‘Horizon 2064’ instead because November 1, 2064, is a significant date in the game’s narrative.
This adaptation was planned to be part of an influx of Sony titles to make the jump to either the big or silver screen. Don’t forget, we’ve still God of War coming too.
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Horizon Zero Dawn series cast speculation
No actors have been cast in Netflix’s Horizon TV show yet, if the project is still going ahead. The series is unlikely to use voice actors from the game such as Ashly Burch, Crispin Freeman, and Josh Keaton.
Burch is an incredible talent, lending her voice to some of our most beloved video game characters. However, she’s significantly older than Horizon’s main character, Aloy. In the first game, she’s only just entering young adulthood.
Sadie Sink from Stranger Things has been a popular fan-cast for Aloy, but that’s just wishful thinking for now.
She’s got a memorable look, with long red hair and bright blue eyes. That doesn’t mean the actor has to look like her, but with the success of The Last of Us’ faithful HBO adaptation, suits might want to hire someone who fits that bill.
Lance Reddick, who voiced the mysterious character Sylens who aids Aloy while sheltering her from hard truths, died in 2023. He was an accomplished screen and voice actor who recently worked on another Netflix adaptation of a game series, Resident Evil. We bet he would have been the top choice for the live-action version of Sylens.
What could the Horizon Zero Dawn series plot be about?
The Horizon TV show, if it goes ahead, will most likely tell the same story as the first game. Zero Dawn follows an outcast named Aloy as she uncovers the secrets behind civilization’s downfall.
Zero Dawn introduced players to a world ravaged by AI machines originally intended to be part of a symbiotic ecosystem. Long after the crumble of civilization after the AI went awry, young Aloy finds herself unexpectedly tied to the past.
As an orphan, Aloy belongs to no clan. Thankfully, she was trained by a father figure who turned her into a capable warrior. When she finds ancient technology, she decides to follow the threads in front of her to find out where she came from and why she can access the technology when others can’t.
How closely the proposed show will follow the first game’s events remains unclear, as there’s wriggle room to showcase the series from an entirely new perspective. It’s unclear if Aloy will even be part of the series. That being said, the game’s narrative is incredible and already fit for purpose.
We’ll be sure to update you here as any further details come to light.