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Dredge, developed by Black Salt Games and published by Team17, turned out to be one of the best games of 2023. The indie fishing-horror game landed to superb critic and player reviews, sold over one million copies in the first handful of months after its release, and the revenue was even put back into the game to create some expansions.
When the many awards ceremonies came around, Dredge was a regular nominee, even being put up for four accolades at the BAFTA awards, including for its narrative and game design. So, with Hollywood constantly on the hunt for known IPs to reboot or adapt for the big screen, it only makes sense that Dredge would get a film.
Dredge is coming to the big screen
Dredge looks to have the makings of a possibly intense horror movie on the water. Importantly, the production company bringing Dredge to live-action, Salt Kitchen, will be bringing in developer Black Salt Games to further adapt the story and world for the big screen.
In the recent past, Story Kitchen’s co-founder has helped to appease gaming and movie fans with the Sonic the Hedgehog movies. Notably, after a poor response to Sonic’s initial design, the team pushed back the film and adjusted Sonic’s eyes to better fit the iconic character’s in-game design.
The co-founder, Dmitri M. Johnson, has been on a streak of video game adaptations which also includes the upcoming Tomb Raider animated series, Streets of Rage, Sifu, and Vampire Survivors. In theory, this means that Story Kitchen knows how to adapt video games in a way that creates a coherent movie and sticks to the rules and established lore of the IP.
While a window for the release of the Dredge movie hasn’t been announced, a mini synopsis has been revealed. As relayed in this IGN report, it’ll be along the lines of “The Sixth Sense on the water,” utilising the blend of influences from Ernest Hemingway and HP Lovecraft to create a grounded, atmospheric cosmic horror story.
How a live-action adaptation of Dredge would work
Dredge isn’t a narrative-heavy game, with its main appeal being its blend of theme and gameplay mechanics. Fishing is a big part of the experience and happens to be one of the most prominent themes in certain entertainment circles right now. You only have to look as far as the Megaways casino to see how fishing is taking over. Across the collection of top Megaways slots, there’s the Big Catch, Fishin’ Frenzy, Crabbin’ for Cash, and Big Bass games – all of which play heavily into the fishing theme with specialised fishing mechanics. Alongside this is the eldritch horror setting.
In Dredge, sea monsters, illusions, and a strange mist ensnare the world at night, upping the difficulty significantly for anyone who stays out fishing at night or can’t get back to the dock in time. Still, there is a story that guides some of your game. The meeting with the Collector helps to come to terms with the death of J.J.
There are alternate endings to this, but all end in some kind of horror or doom to the main character or the world at large. This little plot line could certainly be extended into a film, with plenty of space to add in great character work and explore the world of Dredge without altering anything from in the game.
It might be a little indie game about fishing and fleeing sea monsters, but Dredge could offer a unique and intriguing setting for a story with a lot of room to manoeuvre.