Donald Glover to direct and star in Netflix’s PUBG series
Developing story first seen 3 hours ago
New details confirm that Donald Glover will direct and star in Netflix’s live-action series based on the video game PUBG. He is writing and executive producing the adaptation with his brother Stephen Glover, bringing the pair behind Atlanta to the project.
The series is being developed with Krafton’s LV3H and Neon TV, with additional executive producers from Glover’s Gilga and Krafton. PUBG debuted in 2017 and has set seven Guinness World Records; Krafton announced plans for film and television adaptations in 2020. An animated series from Castlevania producer Adi Shankar was announced in 2021 and was also in development at Netflix.
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In short
- Donald Glover will direct and star in Netflix’s PUBG series.
- He is writing and executive producing it with Stephen Glover.
- The game has set seven Guinness World Records.
How this story developed
- 16 minutes ago The latest account clarified that Netflix’s animated PUBG project, announced in 2021, was also in development.
- 24 minutes ago Further details named Krafton’s LV3H and Neon TV, Glover’s Gilga and Krafton among the production partners and executive producers.
- 1 hour ago Netflix began work on a live-action PUBG series, with Donald Glover set to direct, star, write and executive produce alongside his brother Stephen.
- Polygon Netflix Officially Confirms PUBG TV Adaptation in the Works
- GameSpot A PUBG TV Show Is Coming To Netflix, Starring Donald Glover
- PC Gamer Donald Glover is heading up a PUBG live action series for Netflix
- Destructoid We swear this is real: Donald Glover is producing a PUBG series for Netflix
- Deadline Donald Glover to direct and star in Netflix’s PUBG series
Full account
Netflix is developing a live-action television series based on PUBG, the game franchise launched in 2017 with PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds. Donald Glover is set to direct and star, and will write and executive produce the project with his brother Stephen Glover. The other named executive producers are Michael Schaefer for Neon TV, Fam Udeorji for Gilga, and Taeseok Jang and Sujin Lee for LV3H, Krafton’s entertainment division. No release date has been announced.
The project brings together collaborators from Atlanta: both brothers worked on the FX series as writers and executive producers, while Donald Glover also created, starred in and directed it. He won two Emmy Awards for his work on the show, for acting and directing. Stephen Glover’s other writing credits include Swarm and Mr. & Mrs. Smith. Donald Glover has also worked under an overall deal with Amazon MGM Studios, later renewed as a first-look agreement; he remains an executive producer on that service’s Mr. & Mrs. Smith.
PUBG has grown from a single battle royale game into a wider Krafton franchise. Krafton announced plans for film and television projects in 2020, and its entertainment unit LV3H is involved in this series. An animated PUBG project from Castlevania executive producer Adi Shankar was announced in 2021 and had previously been in development at Netflix. The franchise’s original game has also been renamed PUBG: Battlegrounds. The second report describes its lasting player base and influence on the battle royale genre, including its role in the development of Fortnite.
The adaptation adds to Netflix’s expanding collection of game-related projects. The reports list a live-action Assassin’s Creed series and Gears of War film, animated projects tied to Minecraft, Magic: The Gathering and Clash of Clans, and a competition series based on Overcooked. The second report also notes further seasons of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, Splinter Cell: Deathwatch and Devil May Cry, as well as a slate of projects with Sega. Neither outlet provides a production timetable for PUBG.
Where outlets differ
From the full account, which is AI-written from the sources:
The first report focuses on the deal’s development, the Glover brothers’ credentials, Krafton’s earlier screen plans and the producers’ companies. The second gives more attention to the game’s history, player numbers and place in the battle royale genre, and adds other Netflix and Sega projects.
The first describes the project as an adaptation of Krafton’s bestselling game and notes seven Guinness World Records; the second frames PUBG as a franchise and highlights PUBG: Battlegrounds’ player base and influence. These are different emphases rather than conflicting accounts of the series announcement.
The second report says Krafton and Netflix announced the series on Thursday, while the first does not specify an announcement day. The first also supplies background on Glover’s Amazon deal and his possible return to Mr. & Mrs. Smith; the second instead speculates that this project may affect a separate Star Wars project involving the brothers.
Explained simply
PUBG, short for PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, is an online battle-royale game launched in 2017. Players compete in a shrinking play area, with the aim of being the last person or team left.
The game is published by South Korean company Krafton and became one of the best-known titles in the battle-royale genre. Krafton announced plans to adapt its games for film and television in 2020, and an animated Netflix project based on PUBG was announced the following year.
Donald Glover is an American actor, writer and musician known for work including the television series Atlanta. A live-action adaptation brings the game’s world to screen with actors, rather than animation; Netflix has also adapted other video games for television.
Coverage · 5 sources
- DeadlineDonald Glover to direct and star in Netflix’s PUBG series
- PolygonNetflix Officially Confirms PUBG TV Adaptation in the Works
- GameSpotA PUBG TV Show Is Coming To Netflix, Starring Donald Glover
- PC GamerDonald Glover is heading up a PUBG live action series for Netflix
- DestructoidWe swear this is real: Donald Glover is producing a PUBG series for Netflix
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Originally published by Deadline as “‘PUBG’: Donald Glover Starring In Live-Action Series Adaptation Of Hit Game In Works At Netflix”.