Sony is adapting FromSoftware’s Bloodborne into an R-rated animated feature, according to The Verge. The adaptation will feature YouTuber Seán “Jacksepticeye” McLoughlin, a known Bloodborne fan, serving as a producer. Sony has not announced a premiere date, and plot details remain unreleased.
The adaptation
Bloodborne is being translated from interactive gameplay into an animated film for R-rated audiences. The format shift from game to film requires different production approaches than interactive media. Animation targeting an R rating typically involves distinct content pipelines and production workflows compared to video game development.
McLoughlin’s involvement as a producer suggests the adaptation may reflect familiarity with the source material’s tone and audience expectations, though specific details about his creative role have not been disclosed.
Source material and design elements
Bloodborne first released in 2015 on the PS4, developed by FromSoftware, the studio behind the dark fantasy Souls series. The game is known for its brutal difficulty and features the fully realized city of Yharnam as its setting. In the game, Yharnam is overrun with a virus that turns residents into violent creatures.
These design elements—the game’s difficulty, the detailed city setting, and the virus-driven narrative—provide potential anchors for the film adaptation. An animated feature could emphasize visual storytelling around Yharnam and the transformation caused by the virus, translating gameplay-driven tension into cinematic pacing.
Broader adaptation trends
Bloodborne is not the only FromSoftware title being adapted for film. A24 is developing an adaptation of Elden Ring, directed by Alex Garland. This indicates multiple production studios are investing in FromSoftware intellectual property.
Different studios and directors typically approach adaptations differently. The presence of multiple FromSoftware projects in development suggests an industry pattern: game worlds with strong setting identity are being treated as cinematic properties. Both Bloodborne’s Yharnam and Elden Ring’s open-world fantasy setting present challenges for translating expansive game worlds into film runtime constraints.
What to watch
The R-rated animated format suggests a production intent to preserve the mature tone of the source material. As development progresses, key details to track include how the production team translates gameplay-specific elements into animation and whether the film emphasizes visual worldbuilding or cinematic equivalents for the pressure players experience during difficult encounters.
The parallel development of the Elden Ring adaptation through A24 and Alex Garland provides a benchmark for how the industry is treating FromSoftware’s catalog. If both projects proceed, they could offer comparative insights into how different studios map interactive design into film language.
Source: The Verge