'Twisted Metal' video game reborn as action-comedy series

The screen adaptation of “Twisted Metal” is coming into focus, thanks to new reports.  The car-based video game series has been picked up by NBC streaming service Peacock, and will take the format of a half-hour action comedy.

The original “Twisted Metal” game debuted in 1995 for the PlayStation console and spawned several sequels, the last of which Sony published in 2012. Players entered a demolition derby-style contest in cars outfitted with weapons, working their way through a cast of bizarre characters until they were the last one standing. Gameplay was heavy on combat and short on plot, but memorable opponents — like a psychotic clown driving Sweet Tooth, an ice cream truck equipped with missile launchers — gave the series lasting appeal.

The show will attempt to develop some semblance of story, with writers from “Zombieland” and “Deadpool” attached to the series. Per Peacock, the story will center around “a motor-mouthed outsider offered a chance at a better life, but only if he can successfully deliver a mysterious package across a post-apocalyptic wasteland.” We presume this protagonist is Anthony Mackie, who joined the cast in September as a character named John Doe.

He won’t be alone, though. Peacock’s statement continues, “With the help of a trigger-happy car thief, he’ll face savage marauders driving vehicles of destruction and other dangers of the open road, including a deranged clown who drives an all too familiar ice cream truck.” Will Arnett is also reportedly on board as a producer. 

Of course, we’re here for the cars, and while the game didn’t have licensed vehicles there were some based on real cars that were altered just enough to evade lawsuits. Among the recurring vehicles were a pink lowrider (a mid-60s Chevy or Cadillac), a machine gun-clad sports car (C2 or C3 Corvette or Dodge Viper), and an armored muscle car (Chevy Camaro or Plymouth Roadrunner).

There’s no release date yet, but hopefully this will add a much-needed non-reality show automotive series to the small screen.