‘Mortal Kombat’ writer is adapting another iconic game for screen

One of the writers behind last year’s ‘Mortal Kombat’ reboot, Greg Russo, will write and direct a TV series based on the iconic ‘System Shock’ game franchise.

"I'm honored to have the opportunity to work alongside the fantastic team at Binge and Nightdive Studios to bring the iconic System Shock franchise to life," Russo said, speaking of his first outing as a director. "I've been waiting for the right opportunity to make my directorial debut, and I finally found it."

The ‘System Shock’ games, which have become cult classics over the years, put the player in the role of a nameless hacker, making their way through a cyberpunk space station and battling against a rogue artificial intelligence that tries to turn humans into cyborgs. The latest entry into the franchise is currently available for pre-purchase on Steam.

Russo has previously worked on several video game adaptations, including last year’s ‘Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City’ and ‘Mortal Kombat.’ Despite both films receiving mixed reviews, ‘Mortal Kombat’ has proven to be a streaming hit for HBO Max.

The new ‘System Shock’ TV series will be developed for the upcoming Binge streaming platform, which is set to focus heavily on video game adaptations as well as other gaming content. Aside from ‘System Shock’, Binge’s original content slate also includes an adaptation of the ‘Driver’ games series, developed with the help of Ubisoft, as well as a ‘Hunt: Showdown’ film exec produced by Crytek co-founder Avni Yerli among others.