Past Lives and Materialists writer to work on esports series with A24 and HBO

Image from Vanity Fair

The writer and director of the critically acclaimed Past Lives and the upcoming Materialists, Celine Song, is set to delve into the world of esports.

Alongside indie darling A24 and TV powerhouse HBO, Song will be writing a new TV series, currently titled Damage.

Few details have been revealed, other than that the series will be “set against the high-stakes, cutthroat backdrop of the esports world,” according to film journalist Jeff Sneider.

Celine Song’s history with video games

While very little has been revealed about the series, which is still in early development, we can make a few guesses based on Song’s previous work.

Song’s first official credits go to The Wheel of Time series back in 2021.

However, her directorial debut came during the pandemic, with her rendition of Anton Chekhov’s The Seagull for the New York Theatre Workshop, using The Sims 4.

Having grown up playing The Sims, with her favourite being the second entry in the series, Song instantly knew how to make this unusual concept work.

She used the game to bypass the barriers of the pandemic and stage a recreation of the classic play.

The Seagull is a masterful yet emotionally painful story about poorly timed or misdirected romance.

Think Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, but with no happy endings for any of the characters.

Song would later carry this sensibility into her first feature film, Past Lives.

In an interview with Polygon, Song emphasised how the mundanity of The Sims and The Seagull influenced the visual storytelling in Past Lives.

Past Lives itself is an equally bittersweet story, loosely based on Song’s own experience as a South Korean immigrant who later reconnected with a childhood friend at a bar.

It follows the characters Nora and Hae Sung, childhood sweethearts who reconnect many years later, only to slowly realise that their paths have diverged in this life.

In yet another emotionally devastating romance, it’s clear that Song has a certain affinity for the genre.

Adding to this is Song’s latest film, Materialists, which follows Lucy, played by Dakota Johnson, struggling to choose between the perfect match and an imperfect ex.

With another story about tough but realistic romance written by Song, it’s likely that Damage will receive similar treatment.

What will A24’s Damage be about?

Given Song’s track record with realistic romances, it’s safe to assume a romance plot will be present.

In what form that romance appears is anyone’s guess, as Song’s realism often leads to unpredictable destinations for her characters.

Romance plots within the same ‘side’ or organisation have been done many times before.

Stories about lovers from opposing sides have also been frequently explored, typically ending with one crossing over to the ‘good’ side.

But few have followed romances where both lovers remain on opposing sides.

Meanwhile, we may be able to speculate more about the setting.

We know that esports will serve as the backdrop for the series, due to its “high-stakes” and “cutthroat” environment.

We also know from an interview with Le Cinéma Club that Song enjoys Fortnite, Valorant, and Overwatch to relax.

Given the larger casts and variety of game modes that offer more narrative flexibility, an Overwatch-like game might serve as the show’s setting.

However, given that Overwatch 2 often partners with TV shows and brands, it’s possible that Overwatch 2 itself will feature in the series.

Of course, much of this is speculation, as the show has only just entered development.

Esports in movies and TV

Esports’ growing presence in media and pop culture has not gone unnoticed, with more TV shows and films currently in development.

Several mainstream companies have explored esports through documentaries, such as Amazon Prime’s recent Esports World Cup: Level Up.

Beyond documentaries, films like Gran Turismo have explored esports narratives.

Older esports fans may also remember the online series Video Game High School, created by YouTube channel Rocket Jump.

Meanwhile, C-Drama fans may see similarities with shows like Falling Into Your Smile and The King’s Avatar, both of which are currently available on Netflix.