Ubisoft revives Driver for live-action TV show

Driver, the classic racing series currently owned by Ubisoft, is getting an unlikely resurrection in the form of a live-action TV show. 

The Driver TV series, which will air on upcoming streaming platform Binge, will focus on "undercover agent ex-racecar driver John Tanner, whose mission is to take down [a] local crime syndicate," Ubisoft explained in a press release. We don't have casting or additional details just yet, but Allan Ungar of Binge detailed plans "to deliver an original, premium, and rich storytelling experience that will take fans and newcomers on a thrilling ride." 

We haven't seen anything from Driver since 2014's Driver: Speedboat Paradise mobile game, and before that, 2011's Nintendo 3DS exclusive Driver: Renegade 3D. That said, most fans will likely remember the series for its last full-fat installment: the delightfully weird Driver: San Francisco, which combined an abstract story with a fun shift mechanic that let you hop between vehicles at will. 

Racing games are generally propped up by a pretty standard storyline about proving yourself as a racer, but the Driver series has always had a bit of bite to its narratives that made it stand out – name another game that puts you in the shoes of a comatose driver living it up in an extended dream – so, at first blush, it seems like a good choice for a live-action adaptation. 

The Driver series will be free to stream on Binge, a newly announced service dedicated to gaming adaptations. Announced during E3 2021, the subscription-free platform is still finalizing its launch roadmap. 

Both Binge and the Driver series will arrive in 2022. 

Meanwhile, a live-action Pokemon series is apparently heading to Netflix.