Sony's legendary God of War series of action-adventure and hack-and-slash games is preparing to make its debut on the small screen. Amazon Prime Video is developing a large-scale adaptation based on the Norse saga of Kratos and his son, Atreus. In this article, I outline all the key details currently known about the ambitious live-action adaptation.

As of the end of 2023, total sales of the God of War franchise had surpassed 66 million copies worldwide. Some sources in 2026 cite an even higher figure—76.5 million units. The series is widely regarded as one of the greatest action franchises of all time: the 2005 and 2018 installments received numerous accolades, including the prestigious Game of the Year award. Several titles have been re-released for newer PlayStation platforms, and a remake of the original trilogy is now in development.

The franchise’s success has led to the expansion of its universe, with comic books and novels published over the years. A film adaptation of the first game (the Greek era) was once planned but ultimately canceled. Instead, a television adaptation of the Norse era has been in development at Amazon since 2022. Production has undergone several changes within the creative team, resulting in delays to the release timeline. However, filming is expected to begin in the near future, and the show’s premiere is not far off.

Current status

Timeline of the development

On March 7, 2022, Deadline reported that Prime Video was in negotiations to develop a live-action God of War series with writing duo Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby—who previously worked on The Expanse—as well as Rafe Judkins, known for his involvement in the adaptation of The Wheel of Time.

On May 26, Sony Interactive Entertainment president Jim Ryan officially confirmed that the project was in development for Amazon. By the end of 2022, the series had received a formal green light. It is being produced by Sony Pictures Television and Amazon Studios in association with PlayStation Productions, with a planned release in more than 240 countries. The producing team includes Cory Barlog; PlayStation Productions executives Asad Qizilbash and Carter Swan; Santa Monica Studio head Yumi Yang; and producer and Vertigo Entertainment founder Roy Lee.

A key distinguishing feature of the project is the direct involvement of Cory Barlog, the creative director of Santa Monica Studio, who led development on God of War (2018) and has been part of the franchise since its inception, serving in roles such as game director, game designer, and writer.

In October 2024, Fergus, Ostby, and Judkins departed the project following a shift in creative direction. The role of lead writer and showrunner was subsequently taken over by Ronald D. Moore, a television heavyweight renowned for his work on the Star Trek franchise, Battlestar Galactica, as well as the series Outlander and For All Mankind. In March 2025, Amazon ordered two seasons at once. During a panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2025, Moore confirmed that he was working on the scripts in collaboration with Barlog, ensuring the highest possible fidelity to the spirit of the games. Pre-production began in Vancouver in late 2025.

The first two episodes of the series are directed by Frederick E. O. Toye, another industry giant with extensive experience on numerous television shows, including Alias, Fringe, Person of Interest, Fallout, The Good Wife, as well as Shōgun, for which he received an Emmy Award for directing.

Cast

Kratos will be portrayed by Ryan Hurst, who previously voiced Thor in God of War Ragnarök. In a sense, this marks his return to the universe—albeit in a very different role. Hurst is widely known for his portrayal of Harry "Opie" Winston in Sons of Anarchy, as well as for his roles in the Outsiders and The Walking Dead.

The series will follow the storyline of God of War, in which Kratos and Atreus embark on a journey to scatter the ashes of Kratos' wife and Atreus' mother, Faye. Throughout their quest, Kratos strives to teach his son how to be a better god, while Atreus seeks to help his father become a better man.

This father–son dynamic will serve as the emotional core of the series—just as it did in the franchise's two most recent games. The story is set in the North, during the era of the Norse gods, where Kratos—years after his brutal campaign of vengeance against the Olympians—has settled in an attempt to begin a new life. The show will not be a frame-by-frame recreation of the game; rather, it will closely follow the narrative arc of the Norse-era titles, adapting the story for the television format.

In addition to Ryan Hurst, several other cast members have already been announced:

• Callum Vinson as Atreus;
• Teresa Palmer as Sif;
• Max Parker as Heimdall;
• Ólafur Darri Ólafsson as Thor;
• Mandy Patinkin as Odin;
• Alastair Duncan as Mimir;
• Jeff Gulka as Sindri;
• Danny Woodburn as Brok.

Several major roles, however, have yet to be confirmed. The actors who will portray Freya (the female lead), Baldur (the primary antagonist of the first installment in the duology), Týr (the Norse God of War featured in the second game), Faye (Kratos' wife and Atreus' mother), and Athena (the Olympian goddess from Kratos' past who serves as a psychological barrier between his former and present self) have not yet been announced.

Release date

The series has received a two-season order and is currently in pre-production in Vancouver, Canada. Given that principal photography is scheduled to begin in March 2026 and is expected to last at least six months—the minimum timeframe for a project of this scale—and that post-production, particularly visual effects work, could require an additional eight to twelve months, a realistic release window would be late 2027 or early 2028. The first teaser could arrive either during production or shortly thereafter, but not earlier than late autumn 2026.

An official premiere date has yet to be announced. It also remains unclear whether the creative team plans to film both seasons back-to-back in order to optimize production costs, avoiding the need to rebuild sets and reassemble the cast and crew. If that proves to be the case, the first season is unlikely to premiere before 2028; however, the gap between the releases of the two seasons would likely be shorter.

Article updates

📅 Added on February 28, 2026

Filming begins and first look released

Principal photography began on February 27, 2026, in Vancouver and is expected to continue through approximately April 7, 2027. Amazon marked the start of production with the release of a promotional still featuring Ryan Hurst and Callum Vinson as Kratos and Atreus.

📅 Added on March 7, 2026

New cast announced for the series

The live-action adaptation of God of War continues to expand its cast. Four more actors have joined the project: Louis Cunningham will play Modi, Ben Chapple joining as Magni, Evelyn Miller takes on Gná, and Island Austin has been cast as Thrúd. Cunningham and Austin will be series regulars, while Chapple and Miller are recurring.