''Twisted Metal'' is an upcoming American

post-apocalyptic Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction is a subgenre of speculative fiction in which the Earth's (or another planet's) civilization is collapsing or has collapsed. The apocalypse event may be climatic, such as runaway climate change; astro ...

action comedy Action comedy is a genre that combines aspects of action and comedy. The genre is most prevalent in film with action comedy films, though several TV series fit this genre. Film The action comedy film is a film genre that combines aspects of actio ...

television series created by

Rhett Reese Rhett Reese is an American film producer, television producer, and screenwriter. As a screenwriter, his early credits included ''Clifford's Really Big Movie'' and ''Cruel Intentions 3''. He has collaborated with Paul Wernick, writing the films ' ...

and

Paul Wernick Paul Wernick is a Canadian television/movie screenwriter and producer. He is best known for writing the screenplays to the 2016 superhero film ''Deadpool'' and its 2018 sequel with his creative partner Rhett Reese. Career Early career Wernick h ...

. Based on the

vehicular combat Vehicular combat games (also known as just vehicular combat or car combat) are a sub-genre of vehicle simulation video games where the primary objectives of gameplay include vehicles armed with weapons attempting to destroy vehicles controlled b ...

video game franchise of the same name published by

Sony Interactive Entertainment Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), formerly known as Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE), is a multinational video game industry, video game and digital entertainment company wholly owned by multinational conglomerate Sony. The SIE Group is ma ...

, the series stars

Anthony Mackie Anthony Dwane Mackie (born September 23, 1978) is an American actor. Mackie made his acting debut starring in the semi-biographical drama film '' 8 Mile'' (2002). He was later nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Actor for his per ...

Stephanie Beatriz Stephanie Beatriz Bischoff Alvizuri (born February 10, 1981) is an American actress, model and singer. She is known for playing Detective Rosa Diaz in the Fox/NBC comedy series ''Brooklyn Nine-Nine'' (2013–2021), and voicing protagonist Mira ...

Thomas Haden Church Thomas Haden Church (born Thomas Richard McMillen; June 17, 1960) is an American actor. After starring in the 1990s sitcom ''Wings'' and playing the lead for two seasons in ''Ned & Stacey'' (1995–1997)'','' Church became known for his film work, ...

Will Arnett William Emerson Arnett (; born May 4, 1970) is a Canadian actor, comedian and producer. He is best known for his roles as Gob Bluth in the Fox/Netflix series ''Arrested Development'' (2003–2006, 2013, 2018–2019) and as the titular charact ...

Richard Cabral Richard Cabral (born August 28, 1984) is an American actor, occasional producer and writer. He is best known for his roles on '' Mayans M.C.'' on FX, the ABC television series '' American Crime'', which earned him a Primetime Emmy Award nominat ...

and

Samoa Joe Nuufolau Joel Seanoa (born March 17, 1979), is an American professional wrestler better known by the ring name Samoa Joe who is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Joe is currently a double champion - in his first reign both as AEW ...

. The half-hour series is about a driver who takes a job to deliver a package across a post-apocalyptic wastelands while being chased by marauders. Development by

Sony Pictures Television Sony Pictures Television Inc. (abbreviated as SPT) is an American television production and distribution studio. Based at the Sony Pictures Studios complex in Culver City, it is a division of Sony Entertainment's unit Sony Pictures Entertainm ...

and

PlayStation Productions PlayStation Productions, LLC is an American production company owned by Sony Interactive Entertainment. History Sony Interactive Entertainment launched PlayStation Productions in 2019 with a focus on adapting the company's video game franchis ...

began in May 2019 with a full season being ordered by

Peacock Peafowl is a common name for three bird species in the genera ''Pavo (genus), Pavo'' and ''Afropavo'' within the tribe Pavonini of the family Phasianidae, the pheasants and their allies. Male peafowl are referred to as peacocks, and female pea ...

in February 2022. Production took place in

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

from May to August 2022. The series is set to air on Peacock on an unannounced date in 2023.

Premise

In a post-apocalyptic wasteland, John Doe, a talkative

milkman Milk delivery is a delivery service dedicated to supplying milk. This service typically delivers milk in bottles or cartons directly to customers' homes. This service is performed by a milkman, milkwoman, or milk deliverer. (In contrast, a cow ...

with amnesia, is given a mission to traverse the desolate world to deliver a cryptic package in order to stay alive. Alongside the assistance of Quiet, a rash car thief, Doe faces a life-altering opportunity but must confront ruthless marauders in deadly and destructive vehicles to secure a chance at a better future.

Cast

Main

as John Doe *

as Quiet *

as Agent Stone *

as Sweet Tooth **

as the voice of Sweet Tooth *

as Loud

Recurring

Neve Campbell Neve Adrianne Campbell (born October 3, 1973; ) is a Canadian actress. She is known for her work in the drama and horror genres. She has appeared on ''People'' magazine's list of "50 Most Beautiful People" twice. Following a series of minor ...

as Raven * Tahj Vaughans as Mike * Mike Mitchell as Stu * Lou Beatty Jr. as Tommy * Michael Carollo *

Chloe Fineman Chloe Rose Fineman (born July 20, 1988) is an American actress, comedian, and writer. Fineman became a featured player on the NBC sketch comedy series ''Saturday Night Live'' starting in its Saturday Night Live (season 45), 45th season in Septem ...

Production

Development

In May 2019, during an investor relations presentation,

confirmed that a television series based on video game series,

Twisted Metal ''Twisted Metal'' is a series of vehicular combat video games published by Sony Computer Entertainment, and developed by various companies. The series has appeared on the PlayStation, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable and PlayStation 3. As o ...

was in "advanced development" alongside

. By February 2021, the series was announced with

, Michael Jonathan Smith and

on board to executive produced. Smith serves as

showrunner A showrunner (or colloquially a helmer) is the top-level executive producer of a television series production who has creative and management authority through combining the responsibilities of employer and, in comedy or dramas, typically also th ...

and wrote the series based on an original take by Reese and Wernick. In February 2022, the half-hour action comedy was

greenlit To green-light is to give permission to proceed with a project. The term is a reference to the green traffic signal, indicating "go ahead". Film industry In the context of the film and television industries, to green-light something is to ...

. In April, Kitao Sakurai joined the series as an executive producer in addition to directing multiple episodes.

Casting and characters

In September 2021,

was the first to be cast and also serves as one of the executive producers. He plays John Doe, a "smart-ass

" who has amnesia and he gets a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, only if he can survives attacks of

. In May 2022,

and

was cast in starring roles as Quiet and Agent Stone, respectively. Quiet is a car thief that forms an antagonistic bond with John Doe. Agent Stone is described as "a cold and unyielding post-apocalyptic highway patrolman who rules the roads".

was cast in a recurring role as Raven. In June, Arnett joined the cast, voicing the character Sweet Tooth from the video game series. Sweet Tooth is a "hulking killer in a ghoulish clown mask who prowls the streets of "Lost Vegas" in a weaponized ice cream truck. Wrestler

physically portrays Sweet Tooth.

was cast as Beatriz's overprotective brother, Loud. Tahj Vaughans and Mike Mitchell portray best friends, Mike and Stu. Lou Beatty Jr plays Tommy, "a grizzled and weathered cartographer who knows the dangers of the Wild Midwest". Michael Carollo and

have undisclosed roles.

Filming

On an estimated budget of $72.3 million, season one began

principal photography Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production. Personnel Besides the main film personnel, such as actor ...

in May 2022, in

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

, and wrapped that August. Shooting in New Orleans in the summer came with some challenges with Smith telling

NOLA.com ''The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate'' is an American newspaper published in New Orleans, Louisiana, since January 25, 1837. The current publication is the result of the 2019 acquisition of ''The Times-Picayune'' (itself a result of th ...

, "We dealt with lightning delays, hurricane threats, extreme heat and cars that wouldn't do as they were told".

Release

''Twisted Metal'' is scheduled to premiere on

on an undisclosed date in 2023.

References

External links

* {{Peacock (streaming service) Peacock (streaming service) original programming Upcoming comedy television series Upcoming drama television series American action television series American comedy-drama television series American television shows based on video games Live action television shows based on video games Television series by Universal Television Television series by Sony Pictures Television Twisted Metal Television shows about death games Post-apocalyptic television series Works based on Sony Interactive Entertainment video games English-language television shows PlayStation Productions Television shows filmed in New Orleans