Russo brothers to adapt video game ‘Little Nightmares’ for TV
The Russo brothers are set to team up with Oscar-nominated director Henry Selick on a television adaptation of video game Little Nightmares.
Joe Russo and Anthony Russo will develop and serve as executive producers on the series with Dmitri M. Johnson and Stephan Bugaj of DJ2 Entertainment. The brothers are currently in postproduction on Avengers: Infinity War, set for theatrical release on May 4, 2018.
Little Nightmares, developed by Tarsier Studios and published by Bandai Namco, was released in April. The darkly eccentric story follows tiny heroine Six as she stumbles into a bleak and oversized world. To confront the horrors ahead of her in this shadowy universe, the young girl is equipped with nothing but her wits, a yellow raincoat, and a lighter.
Game Release and Description
The original Little Nightmares arrived in April 2017 on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. Ports followed on Switch and mobile devices, and a 2025 Enhanced Edition arrived with updated visuals and performance upgrades. Sequels and DLC have expanded the story universe beyond the first game, adding new chapters, characters, and mechanical twists while keeping the signature sense of scale and dread intact. Fans who first met Six in that raincoat now have a wider map to explore, though the core tension of navigating oversized threats remains the same.
DJ2 Entertainment Pipeline
DJ2 Entertainment had several video game adaptations in the pipeline including a live-action series based on Life is Strange, in collaboration with Legendary Pictures, and a feature film adaptation of Sleeping Dogs, set to star Donnie Yen (Ip Man) in the lead. Those references reflect plans discussed around the time of the 2017 announcement. No recent confirmed status updates tie directly to those exact projects in current sources, leaving the original pipeline notes as a snapshot of early ambitions rather than active slate items.
Current Status of the TV Adaptation
No public developments or production updates have surfaced since the 2017 announcement. Henry Selick confirmed he is no longer involved. The project is listed as cancelled on the franchise wiki, and no network, streamer, or production banner has revived the effort. What began as a high-profile pairing of blockbuster directors and a cult horror game now sits as an archival entry rather than an active production.
Franchise Expansion Since 2017
Little Nightmares II arrived in 2021, shifting the spotlight to a new protagonist while deepening the lore around the Maw and its inhabitants. Little Nightmares III followed in October 2025 with an accompanying Enhanced Edition and DLC that extended several story threads. A mobile title called Very Little Nightmares joined the catalog along with smaller expansions and tie-in content. The series has grown from a single atmospheric platformer into a multi-platform franchise with recurring motifs, new settings, and a steadily expanding cast of unsettling figures.
New Little Nightmares Media: Broken Promises Short Film
A 13-minute stop-motion short titled Little Nightmares – Broken Promises was produced with El Taller del Chucho. Directors Sofía Carrillo and Juan Medina led the project. A teaser dropped in June 2025, and the short premiered at the Annecy festival in 2026. The piece stands as the first major new official media released in the universe after the original game announcement cycle, offering a self-contained story that fits the established tone without relying on the stalled television plans.
Russo Brothers and Selick Post-Announcement Work
The Russo brothers continued with major films after Avengers: Infinity War, moving between large-scale studio projects and their own banner. Selick has focused on other animation projects that align with his established style of dark whimsy. No public linkage has reconnected either party to the Little Nightmares television effort. Their later credits show continued activity in feature work, yet the 2017 announcement remains an isolated chapter without follow-through on the small screen.
The original pitch paired proven blockbuster talent with a distinctive game property at a moment when prestige television was courting genre material. Years later the absence of updates leaves the project as a historical footnote while the game itself has continued to grow through sequels, remasters, and new short-form animation. Viewers who hoped for a weekly visit to the Maw will instead track the franchise through its expanding game releases and the recent Annecy short. The Russo brothers and Selick each moved on to other productions, and the television series never reached a pilot stage. The story of Six and the world she navigates now lives primarily on consoles, handhelds, and the occasional festival screen rather than in weekly episodes.
