It’s difficult to separate Obsidian’s miniscule survival game from its influences. A story involving shrunken people exploring a back yard is not a new idea. It was the premise for the 1989 Rick Moranis-led Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, in which a scientist creates a device that accidentally shrinks his and his neighbors’ children. But from big-screen inspirations, Grounded will soon have its own teeny tiny adventures retold as a TV adaptation.
Confirmed by Deadline, Grounded is ironically headed to the small screen as a TV show. The Grounded series will be written by Brent Friedman, whose work includes Star Wars: Rebels, Call of Duty: Vanguard, and Halo 4. He also did the screenplay for 1997’s Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, but we won’t hold that against him.
The Grounded TV series will follow along with the story of the game. Four young friends wind up two-inches tall after a scientific device shrinks and traps them in a backyard filled with environmental hazards and vicious bugs. Like the game, the foursome must figure out how to survive and return to normal height. Grounded‘s in-game story follows along these plot points. However, it won’t be fully told until its 1.0 launch this September.
Small adventures, big story
There is no set release window for the show. I expect most fans will complete the story long before the series airs. We also don’t know which streaming service the show will land on. Paramount+ would make the most sense, as it recently finished airing the first season of Halo (lest we all forget that masterpiece).
The Grounded TV series adaptation is getting handled by multiple companies. Deadline confirms that Waterproof Studios/SC Productions, Kinetic Media and Bardel Entertainment are involved.
“We couldn’t be more excited about diving into the whimsical universe of Grounded,” said Tina Chow, CEO, Bardel Entertainment. “This partnership will be one of great collaboration, expanding on an already wonderful journey of exploration and adventure.”
It should make for an entertaining show, I think. However, there might be some viewers put off by how many damn spiders are involved. In case you’re wondering, that number is: too many.
