It’s becoming increasingly unlikely that we’ll ever see a TV adaptation of Bethesda Game Studios’ popular video game series, The Elder Scrolls. The series, which includes five games – Arena (1994), Daggerfall (1996), Morrowind (2002), Oblivion (2006), and Skyrim (2011) – and with a sixth currently in development since 2023, appears to be facing too much competition in the already crowded fantasy TV market.
I was reading an interview with Bruce Nesmith, the lead designer on Skyrim, and he was talking about the success of the Fallout show on Prime Video. He admitted that while a TV adaptation of The Elder Scrolls would definitely boost interest in Bethesda’s games, he doesn’t think the world of Elder Scrolls is particularly unique compared to other fantasy and post-apocalyptic franchises out there. Basically, he feels Fallout’s success is great, but Elder Scrolls doesn’t necessarily have that same ‘fresh’ angle for a show.
What makes Fallout stand out is its distinctive and unusual quality, making it a great fit for a TV show or movie. The Elder Scrolls, on the other hand, feels like a typical fantasy story. With so many fantasy options already available – like Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones – an Elder Scrolls adaptation would need a really unique angle to be compelling.
As a critic, I can confidently say the Fallout universe is totally unique in gaming. That instantly gives its TV adaptation a huge advantage. When you jump into a fantasy world filled with elves and magic, you’re immediately facing comparisons. A dragon? We’ve seen dragons. You need something fresh to grab an audience. Different mediums demand different approaches, and frankly, I just don’t think The Elder Scrolls would translate well to a TV series. A movie, maybe, but stretching that lore out over multiple seasons? I’m skeptical.
Interestingly, this is where Peter Jackson, the director behind Lord of the Rings, comes into the picture. Back in 2016, a marketing executive at Bethesda, Pete Hines, said the company would only consider making an Elder Scrolls movie if Jackson personally came to them with a proposal.
Is ‘Fallout’ Prime Video’s Golden Goose?
Image via Amazon Prime Video
With its season finale, “The Strip,” airing this week, Fallout has quickly become one of Prime Video’s biggest hits, especially as The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power isn’t currently streaming. The show is also performing exceptionally well with critics – Fallout seasons one and two have a 93% and 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, respectively, significantly higher than the 84% achieved by both seasons of Rings of Power.
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The popularity of Fallout extends far beyond its initial appeal. Amazon reports that over half (53%) of Season 2 viewers are watching from outside the US, with strong interest coming from the UK, Germany, and Brazil. It’s become one of the top 5 most-watched shows on the platform for men aged 18-34, and writers are already working on Season 3.
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2026-02-07 19:18