Movies based on hit video games have been notoriously difficult to get right, but Hit-Monkey creators Will Speck and Josh Gordon have their sights set on adapting The Oregon Trail. Originally created in 1971, the adventure game was initially developed as an educational tool to teach middle school students about 19th-century pioneer life. Renowned for its frequently dark and often amusing outcomes, it would become synonymous with having its players repeatedly die of dysentery. Over the years, the game has seen countless remakes and spinoffs created, with a PlayStation 5 edition released as recently as February 2024.

Per The Hollywood Reporter, Speck and Gordon have been tapped by Apple Studios to direct and produce a movie adaptation of The Oregon Trail based on a script penned by screenwriters and comedians The Lucas Bros. (Judas and the Black Messiah) and Max Reisman. The movie adaptation is also reported to feature original musical numbers in the vein of 2023’s Barbie, with the music provided by songwriting duo Benj Pasek and Justin Paul. Pasek and Paul will also produce under their Ampersand production banner.

What Speck And Gordon’s Participation Means For The Oregon Trail Movie

The Directing Duo's Experience Makes Them A Good Potential Fit

Given the unintentional comedic undertones present in the original games, Speck and Gordon seem like a good choice to bring the movie version to life. After making a mark for themselves off the back of their Oscar-nominated short film Culture, the duo would later make their feature-length directorial debut on the Will Ferrell and Jon Heder-led Blades of Glory. Shifting effortlessly between more adult-themed fare, such as the Hulu animated Hit-Monkey series, and more family-friendly projects like 2022's Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile, the filmmaking duo are a perfect fit for a game that helped define generations of school goers.

Meanwhile, the Lucas Bros.’ participation as screenwriters further emphasizes the movie’s heavy comedic slant. The stand-up comedians, who have also appeared in movies like 22 Jump Street, as well as headlining their own animated show, Lucas Bros. Moving Co., have also shown their versatility in acquiring their own Academy Award nominations for the Fred Hampton biopic, Judas and the Black Messiah, which they co-wrote with Will Berson and director Shaka King.

Our Take On Apple Adapting The Oregon Trail

The Video Game Movie Will Need To Stand Apart From Other Frontier Comedies

Frontier tales, and the actual Oregon Trail, have long been a source of inspiration for comedic filmmakers. From the Daniel Radcliffe-led Miracle Workers season 3 to the indie release of Go West from the cast of the sketch comedy show Studio C, audiences are no strangers to the life of 19th-century American pioneers being used for comedic fodder.

However, what will be interesting to see is how The Oregon Trail movie based directly on the original game honors its origins as a staple of educational software. As such, the task facing Speck and Gordon will be ensuring that their movie stands apart from so many other frontier comedies and immediately conjures the experience of playing the game that was such a prominent part of so many viewers’ schooling years. Whether they will succeed in achieving this remains to be seen, but their experience combined with their new creative collaborators puts them in good stead.

Source: THR