Secret Levelexecutive producer and supervising director Dave Wilson teases how the series will adaptPac-Man. ThePrime Video showis an animated anthology series,featuring 15 standalone episodes that adapt familiar video games characters and brands, includingPac-ManandWarhammer.Arnold Schwarzenegger, Keanu Reeves, Kevin Hart, Ariana Greenblatt, Temuera Morrison, Emily Swallow, and Gabriel Luna are among the many members of the series' star-studded cast.
While speaking withScreen RantatNew York City Comic Con,Wilson hinted at the bold and surprising way thatPac-Manwas adaptedin one ofSecret Level’s episodes. He explained howSecret Level’s creative approach differed greatly from a more traditional process, yet this departure worked well for the series' take onPac-Man. Wilson also teased the abundance of weirdness in the episode that was grounded in the inherent weirdness of thePac-Mangames. Check out Wilson’s comments below:
I mean, the traditional route is pitch to the pros to a screenplay. We did about four or five rounds of pitching on Pac-Man, but there wasn’t really anything that we felt was just the right thing, and we took a lot of the ingredients from the pitching. Tim and JT Petty, our head writer, workshopped the screenplay a little bit. But honestly, there’s a moment when you’re reading a story and it’s just like this sort of light bulb goes off and this is it.
You’ve seen Pac-Man, it is weird — and I think in the best way possible — but I would even say, I think if anyone read that story on the page and you look what Victor and Alfredo, the directors at Headless, did, I don’t even think it’s still that script. It is, but they really gave it a life of its own. And I remember when that story reel came in from them, I don’t think it’s changed a frame since it came in. It was just like, “Holy s–t, this is amazing.” It’s so f—-ng weird. It felt like we were disemboweling people’s childhoods with that episode.
It just needed a really, really strong voice, and they knocked it out the park. So, it was a process of I don’t think it followed a typical route, but we knew that episode needed a strong filmmaker, and even their director’s pitch was amazing for it. They referenced Mandy. Like, Mandy and Pac-Man don’t seem to mesh well together as a creative touchstone, but it went awesome. It worked.
What This Means For Secret Level
The Pac-Man Episode Will Be One Of Secret Level’s Best Stories
Even thoughSecret Levelhas 15 episodes with different stories, Wilson’s comments indicate that thePac-Manepisode will be one of the series' best and most memorable installments. WithPac-Manfirst being released in 1980, it helps that the games have played a role in the childhood of multiple generations.The longtime and widespread familiarity withPac-Manwill make it easy to get investedin this specific episode, and will make the episode’s creative swings more impactful.
Wilson makes a good point about them being inherently weird, as they revolve around a yellow mouth eating dots and fruit inside a maze, while also avoiding ghosts.
As commonplace as thePac-Mangames have been, Wilson makes a good point about them being inherently weird, as they revolve around a yellow mouth eating dots and fruit inside a maze, while also avoiding ghosts. This concept works well in the games, and has significant narrative potential for how it can be used in an animated anthology series.Secret Level’s take may be traumatizing to some childhood memories, butit will embrace the weirdness of the games, potentially making the episode agreat video game adaptation.
Our Take On Dave Wilson’s Comments
The Pac-Man Episode Has Great Potential
Out of all theSecret Levelepisodes, I amnow most intrigued by thePac-Manone, and by seeing how it uses the popular games to tell an animated short story. The good news about an anthology series is that, regardless of how thePac-Manepisode is received, all the other episodes will focus on different stories and video game franchises. Between its talented voice cast, the creative team behind it, and its clever adaptations ofPac-Man,Warhammer, and other video games,Secret Levelcould become one ofPrime Video’s best 2024 shows.
Secret Level
Cast
Secret Level is an adult animated series exploring original short stories set within the worlds of popular video games. Each episode introduces new adventures, delving into iconic gaming classics and forthcoming titles to unlock captivating narratives and immersive experiences. Created by Tim Miller, the series celebrates gaming culture.
