Horizon Zero Dawn’s Netflix Series Will Be Helmed By Umbrella Academy Creator

Netflix has shared that Umbrella Academy creator Steve Blackman is leading development for a live-action Horizon Zero Dawn Netflix series.

Horizon Zero Dawn combines the awe of technological creatures with a prehistoric post-apocalyptic environment, setting the stage for Aloy. A young hunter attempting to uncover the myserty of her past, Aloy trudges through a world overrun by mechanical creatures. The game launched back in 2017, and has since enjoyed both critical and fan acclaim for its narrative and mechanics. At its core, it’s a game about danger, discovery, and community – and now it brings those themes to Netflix.

In a recent announcement, Netflix shared that Umbrella Academy creator Steve Blackman will be continuing to create for the platform. Part of this collaboration includes a live-action Horizon Zero Dawn Netflix Series, telling Aloy’s story in an entirely new form.

The Horizon Zero Dawn Netflix Series Is In Development

Firstly, Steve Blackman is currently the executive producer, showrunner, and creator of Netflix’s The Umbrella Academy. The American superhero series will continue for a fourth season – extending Blackman’s collaboration with Netflix.

Blackman also has a few other shows of note in development. Working alongside his creative teams, Blackman is adapting Guerrilla Games’ Horizon Zero Dawn to live-action. In an interview with Netflix, he shares, “we hope to push the envelope even more, especially when it comes to production where we’ll be using the newest technologies available to bring these projects to screen. It’s an enormous challenge but one that I’m truly excited about.”

Blackman continues, “From a character- and world-building perspective, there’s a clear throughline: I gravitate to characters who are grounded and relatable but exist on the fringe. Outliers who struggle to find their place in a world of conformity and structure. All my stories strive to subvert expectation and find a new way of looking into the worlds we think we know.“

Aloy is certainly such a character; at the fringe of her community, she ventures out into the wider world to dig deeper into the past. Additionally, her headstrong nature and determination make her an incredibly relatable protagonist. Although she existed in a time far beyond our own, players have long praised the game’s ability to immerse them in her character.

Luckily for Horizon fans, the Netflix series will definitely feature Aloy as a main character. Hoping to translate the beautiful dichotomy of the game world to TV, Blackman intends to expand the franchise into a series “for all viewers.”

“Horizon Zero Dawn is an exceptionally well-crafted game with wonderful characters not often seen in the rank-and-file of the gaming world. Guerrilla Games has created an incredibly lush and vivid world of man and machine who find themselves on a collision course to oblivion. Their salvation comes in the form of a young female warrior named Aloy, who has no idea she’s the key to saving the world. Suffice it to say, yes, Aloy will be a main character in our story. My writing partner on this, Michelle Lovretta, and I are thrilled to be able to expand this remarkable IP into a series for all types of viewers.”

– Steve Blackman

Though we’ve received this announcement, Netflix has not stated a specific target date for the show’s release. The Horizon Zero Dawn Netflix series is currently in development, meaning it may be sometime before it airs. However, you can be sure we’ll have the latest updates as soon as they are announced.

Finally, check out Guerilla Games’ sequel, Horizon Forbidden West, on PS4 and PS5 now.