Terraforming Mars producer wants screen adaptation to be as “enduringly good” as Pirates of the Caribbean and The Lego Movie
“Adaptations have no business being half as good as they are.”
The producer behind the upcoming television adaptation of Terraforming Mars, Chris Kaminski, has said that they want it to be as “enduringly good” as Pirates of the Caribbean and The Lego Movie.
In an interview with Dicebreaker, Kaminski commented on the two film adaptations – the first being inspired by the classic Disney theme park ride, the second being based on the beloved children’s toy series – praising their quality, despite both being based on extremely loose story material.
“There are a handful of adaptations that probably shouldn't have worked. Two of my favourite examples are Pirates of the Caribbean and the Lego Movie,” said Kaminski. “Those adaptations have no business being half as good as they are.”
During a discussion about Kaminski’s plans for a Terraforming Mars TV show, the producer touched on how Pirates of the Caribbean and The Lego Movie managed to deliver a great viewing experiences, even though they didn’t have any clear storylines to follow. Kaminski noted “I rewatched Pirates of the Caribbean a few months ago, and I've just I'm shocked that how just enduringly good it is.” Considering the lack of an obvious storyline in Terraforming Mars, Kaminski admitted that Cobalt Knight – the company co-founded by by the producer – was using Pirates and The Lego Movie as a “goal” of the kind of level of quality that they “want to hit.”
Cobalt Knight acquired the adaptation rights for Terraforming Mars, a board game wherein players become corporations making the red planet habitable for humans, in November 2022, with Kaminski confirming that a television series based on the tabletop title was in progress. According to the producer, it’s more difficult to adapt a video game that lacks a clear story and protagonist than it is a tabletop title: “you have to work a lot harder to alienate your audience when adapting a board game.” Kaminski also commented on the “approachable” nature of using a setting like that of Terraforming Mars to tackle topics like corporate immorality.
As well as Terraforming Mars, Cobalt Knight has the adaptation rights to another board game featuring terraforming, Terra Mystica, Trickerion and Anachrony, a board game that includes much more of a story than any of the other licenses acquired by Cobalt Knight. More details about any of these adaptations, such as casting and release dates, are yet to be revealed.