Prime Video has revealed the star of an upcoming series based on an iconic video game franchise.
Veteran actor Ryan Hurst will play Kratos in “God of War.” The series, based on PlayStation’s massively popular ancient mythology-themed video game, the show is being developed by Sony Pictures Television and Amazon MGM Studios.
Coming after the success of HBO’s “The Last of Us” and Prime Video’s “Fallout,” “God of War” will be another in the growing trend of video games being developed into prestige television.
In the video games, Kratos is a Spartan warrior who rose to command armies in service of his homeland until one day he made a fateful deal with Ares, the Greek God of War and lost his soul in exchange for being victorious in battle.
Over the course of ten wildly successful games, Kratos vanquished mortals, creatures and gods alike. The TV series will focus on the Norse portion of the video game series, following Kratos and his son Atreus as they embark on a journey to spread the ashes of their wife and mother, Faye.
Through their adventures, Kratos tries to teach his son to be a better god, while Atreus tries to teach his father how to be a better human, a news release said.
Hurst is familiar with the franchise having played Thor in PlayStation’s “God of War Ragnarök.” He was nominated for a BAFTA Award for his performance.
Hurst, 49, is known for playing intense, physically imposing, and emotionally complex characters. Iconic roles include linebacker Gerry Bertier in “Remember the Titans” and Opie Winston in the FX drama series “Sons of Anarchy.”.
He also portrayed “Lil Foster” Farrell in the “The Outsiders” and Beta in the AMC horror drama series “The Walking Dead.”
Ronald D. Moore will serve as showrunner, executive producer, and writer. The series has received a two-season order, with pre-production underway in Vancouver, and casting underway.