Netflix is adapting the 'Taylor Sheridan Meets Hunger Games' action franchise

Netflix really is leaning hard into the whole “franchise adaptation” thing these days. First it was One Piece, then Avatar: The Last Airbender (and all the other games, cartoons, and comics you can name). Now they’ve set their sights on something a bit different — a live-action series based on the blockbuster shooter PUBG (for the uninitiated, that’s PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds for you). And you’ll recognise at least one name on the call sheet: Donald Glover is not only starring in it, he’s running the show behind the scenes with his brother Stephen Glover writing, producing, and apparently directing as well. If you liked Atlanta or the new Mr. and Mrs. Smith, you’ll know the sort of energy these two bring.

PUBG first launched in 2017, and its battle royale format still pulls in a sizeable player base in 2026.

The Glovers Reloaded

Let’s break down the Glover bit first because it’s the cleverest casting Netflix could’ve done. Donald and Stephen already made all four seasons of Atlanta together, then moved over to Amazon for Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Donald’s still got a first-look deal at Amazon MGM Studios (and yes, he’s rumoured for Mr. and Mrs. Smith Season 2), but apparently he has time for two streaming platforms at once — provided he fancies it.

This new PUBG adaptation lands at Netflix thanks to their own first-look agreement with Krafton, the company behind the game. On producing duties, along with the Glovers, you’ve got Michael Schaefer from Neon TV, Taeseok Jang and Sujin Lee at LV3H, and Udeorji from Gilga. So a US-South Korea mix on the production end, which is hardly surprising given the franchise’s global pull.

Hunger Games with Yellowstone Vibes?

For anyone who’s somehow missed the gaming phenomenon: PUBG is basically the blueprint for every modern battle royale. Drop a load of players onto a big open map, force them to scavenge weapons, and watch as the playable zone gets smaller and the last-person-standing scramble gets more and more desperate. The basic premise draws on the same everyone-for-themselves antics you see in The Hunger Games, but visually it feels like someone mashed up Yellowstone with a high-stakes shoot-em-up. The big question, though, is how on earth you turn a meat-grinder multiplayer shooter into compelling episodic TV.

That’s where the Glovers come in. Their knack for drama, unpredictability, and a dark sense of humour could give the show a proper identity — less empty action, more characters worth caring about, hopefully not forgetting the gleeful chaos that made the game a hit in the first place. If you can imagine Atlanta’s sharp left turns set in a shrinking arena full of heavily armed strangers, you’re halfway there.

Netflix’s Expanding Gameverse

• PUBG joins a bigger push at Netflix for game-based shows, alongside Magic: The Gathering, Assassin’s Creed, Gears of War, Ticket to Ride, Minecraft, and Clash of Clans
• Previous gaming tie-ins on the service include Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, Splinter Cell: Deathwatch, and Tomb Raider
• There’s also supposedly still an animated PUBG project from Adi Shankar (the Castlevania showrunner) knocking about in Netflix’s pipeline, though no-one seems to know the status of that one

Not exactly a dull period for game adaptations, and it’s not lost on anyone that Netflix keeps trying to hit that anime-to-live-action gold mine. But if the Glovers can pull this off, PUBG could be the first of these adaptations that feels unpredictable in a good way — and not just another tick-box exercise in franchise expansion.