A live-action Pac-Man movie is in development from Bandai Namco, the publisher of the iconic arcade mascot, and Wayfarer Studios. The project is based on an original idea from Lightbeam Entertainment’s Chuck Williams, the mind behind the latest Sonic the Hedgehog movie franchise.
A release date has not been set, and plot details have yet to be announced.
This upcoming Pac-Man movie will not be the first live-action appearance of the character in cinema. He was featured in 2015’s critically panned Pixels, starring Adam Sandler. It’s uncertain if this Pac-Man movie will feature Blinky, Pinky, Inky and Clyde, the four ghosts that chase Pac-Man in the video games.
The Pac-Man game was first introduced to American audiences in 1980, quickly becoming an arcade phenomenon. The term Pac-Man fever was coined to describe the craze around the pellet-gobbling yellow character.
Video game movies have had an inconsistent track record. Some movies, such as Pokemon Detective Pikachu and Sonic the Hedgehog 2, have done well at the box office while appeasing fans. Both titles brought in more than $400 million in global box office ticket sales. Others, like Uncharted or Resident Evil, may perform strongly at the box office, but leave fans or critics disappointed.
Wayfarer Studios, which is now developing the Pac-Man movie, was founded by Paylocity founder Steve Sarowitz and Jane the Virgin star Justin Baldoni. Paylocity is an HR and payroll software company. The studio created 2019’s Five Feet Apart, starring Haley Lu Richardson (The Edge of Seventeen, Split) and Cole Sprouse (Riverdale). Wayfarer also created Clouds on Disney Plus.
