Julie Christeas‘ Tandem Pictures is making its first move into the gaming space with a new project that will pull double duty as both a live-action video game and an indie film produced using the same footage.
Starring “Never Have I Ever” and “Companion” actress Megan Suri, “Great Northern” tells the “bold story of a young woman riding her motorcycle across the country to Alaska to scatter her father’s ashes, per the game’s description. With danger around every corner, players will make impactful decisions as a modern-day lone ranger facing the open road on the adventure of a lifetime.”
In its simplest description, “Great Northern” is a choose-your-own-adventure game, and the subsequent standalone film based on the title will be developed based on “the characters and plotlines that are most beloved by the community of people who play the game.”
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Production is set to begin on “Great Northern” — both the live-action footage used to make the game and the film — soon.
Developed by studio Little Wooden Toys, “Great Northern” is slated to launch in the first half of 2027 across PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox Series X and S, Nintendo Switch, PC/Mac, Smart TVs and iOS/Android devices. The title is meant to be accessible and enjoyable for both first-time gamers and seasoned vets.
Founded in 2010 by Christeas, production company Tandem Pictures, which has a special focus on elevating social-justice and climate-change stories, has previously produced films including “Black Bear,” written and directed by Lawrence Michael Levine starring Aubrey Plaza and Christopher Abbott, “The Surrogate,” featuring Jasmine Batchelor, Nicolas Pesce’s directorial debut “The Eyes of My Mother,” and “The Sleepwalker.”
Up next, Tandem’s new Anna Camp and Justin Bartha-led film “Nuked,” which follows a group of friends who get together for a cannabis-infused, technology free, dinner party only to learn a nuclear bomb is headed right for them, releases in July.
“As filmmakers, gamers, artists, and storytellers, we’re seeing the marketplace as it is – troubled, confused, and missing opportunities,” Tandem Pictures founder and CEO Julie Christeas said. “We want memorable experiences. Stories that stick with us and that change the fabric of who we are as people. Projects like ‘Great Northern’ that leap out of the screen and grab a part of our soul. Not being originally immersed in gaming, this partnership was truly eye-opening in seeing how seamlessly and impactful it was to watch film and video games go hand-in-hand, beyond an IP adaptation.”
“’Great Northern’ takes what we all love about coming-of-age stories and sends it headfirst into a neo-western, come what may,” Little Wooden Toys co-founder and director Casey Stein. “Our protagonist, and our audience, will go on a personal odyssey to overcome adversity and learn to thrive despite the odds.”
Little Wooden Toys co-founder and game designer Bernard Zeiger added: “We built ‘Great Northern’ to further prove the potential of story-driven games for all audiences. The gameplay lifts up the story, and the story comes to life through the gameplay. We want everyone to experience their own unforgettable journey where the greatest loss imaginable just might lead to the adventure of a lifetime.”
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