Netflix is no stranger to franchise adaptations, with shows like One Piece and Avatar: The Last Airbender routinely taking over the streaming charts upon release. Now the company is adapting another popular franchise, but this time it is trading anime and manga for a project that combines Taylor Sheridan and The Hunger Games, and it has a top-tier star attached.
Variety has reported that Netflix is developing a live-action series based on the hit game PUBG, which is also known as PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds. The adaptation of the hit battle royale game will have some welcome star power with Community icon Donald Glover attached in an unnamed role. Donald will be teaming up once more with his brother Stephen Glover to write and executive produce the series, and Glover is reportedly planning to direct as well.
Donald and Stephen Glover previously collaborated on all four seasons of the FX series Atlanta, and they also worked together on the Amazon series Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Glover is currently in the midst of a first-look deal with Amazon MGM Studios, and rumors suggest he could still return for Mr. and Mrs. Smith season 2.
Even if he does, it shouldn’t interfere with PUBG, which is part of a first-look deal between Netflix and PUBG publisher Krafton. Michael Schaefer of Neon TV, Taeseok Jang and Sujin Lee of LV3H, and Udeorji of Gilga will also executive produce the series.
PUBG is a battle royale game that launched in 2017, and as of 2026, remains quite popular. The game requires players to search for weapons and take out rival players as the playable area shrinks. Like in The Hunger Games, it’s everyone fighting for themselves, and the goal of surviving in an American frontier-styled environment certainly brings elements of Yellowstone to mind. It’s an impressive combination, and it should work on the small screen as well.
What remains to be seen is how the series will tell a story within the PUBG world. While both franchises include plenty of action sequences, it’s the drama and characters that allow you to get invested in films and shows like The Hunger Games, Yellowstone, Lioness, and Landman. This is also why the combination of Donald and Stephen Glover is so intriguing. Their writing style and tonal approach could allow the series to explore the volatility and unexpected nature of PUBG’s world through a fresh lens, and with a keen comedic sensibility.
PUBG joins a number of previously announced gaming-focused projects at Netflix. That roster currently includes Magic: The Gathering, Assassin’s Creed, Gears of War, Ticket to Ride, Minecraft, and Clash of Clans. The streamer also already has shows like Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, Splinter Cell: Deathwatch, and Tomb Raider on its service.
Netflix previously announced a PUBG animated series from Castlevania’s Adi Shankar, but there hasn’t been an update on that series recently. If that project is still in development, this could end up being quite the one-two punch for the PUBG franchise.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
