Adam Sandler’sPixelswas a critical disaster despite featuring fun references toPac-Man, yet the next iteration of the latter could redeem the former whenSecret Levelhits streaming platforms.Pixelswas released in 2015 and attempted to tell an interesting, comedic story about aliens who invaded Earth using the forms of iconic video game characters that were found in a space-bound time capsule. While this concept andPixels’cast of characterswere promising, the film did not meet expectations. Aside from fun references, includingPixels’Pac-Mancreator cameo, the film forewent fun nostalgia for over-the-top, annoying humor.
This ledPixelsto become a critical failure, with the film currently holding an 18% score from professional reviews logged on Rotten Tomatoes. As one of the few different interpretations involving an iconic game likePac-Man, many are wondering where the next will come from. One isAmazon Prime’sSecret Levelvideo game anthology series; Intriguingly, thePac-Manepisode ofSecret Levelhas been teased by the show’s creators, promising a weird, maybe even scary redemption of the last interpretation of the iconic character in film and TV.
Secret Level’s Pac-Man Episode Sounds Incredibly Fun (& Weird)
What Could Secret Level Have In Store For Pac-Man?
Speaking exclusively toScreen Rantat New York Comic-Con 2024, the executive producer and supervising director ofSecret Level, Dave Wilson, teased the show’s adaptation ofPac-Man. Of course, it is common knowledge thatPac-Manholds little storytelling value as an arcade game, making the anthology episode based on the IP all the more intriguing. However, what was promised by Wilson may not be what many expected:
“You’ve seen Pac-Man, it is weird — and I think in the best way possible… look what Victor and Alfredo, the directors at Headless, did… And I remember when that story reel came in from them…It was just like, ‘Holy s–t, this is amazing.’ It’s so f—-ng weird. It felt like we were disemboweling people’s childhoods with that episode… They referenced Mandy. Like, Mandy and Pac-Man don’t seem to mesh well together as a creative touchstone, but it went awesome.”
As evident by Wilson’s comments, it is safe to assume thatSecret Level’sPac-Manepisode will be incredibly different from anything that has come before. The reference toMandyraises eyebrows given its nature as a psychedelic revenge thriller starring Nicolas Cage. Somehow, the creators atSecret Levelhave blended that violent weirdness with the latter element ofPac-Man.As a whole, this sounds overly compelling and strange, yet incredibly exciting ahead ofSecret Level’s release.
Secret Levelwill be released on August 02, 2025, on Amazon Prime.
Sandler’s Pixels Will No Longer Be The Only “Weird” Pac-Man Adaptation
WithSecret Levelreleasing aPac-Manadaptation,Pixelswill no longer be the only weird interpretation of the iconic franchise. However, the benefit ofSecret Level’s iteration will be that it sounds overly interesting. As alluded to thanks to the exploration ofPixels' reviews, the Adam Sandler film failed to capture the iconic nostalgia of the video game in a way that worked. It seems as thoughSecret Levelwill do so by going above and beyond what was thought possible from an adaptation ofPac-Man, rather than the more surface-level exploration found inPixels, hopefully to better critical reception.
Pixels
Cast
In Pixels, invading aliens misinterpret classic 1980s arcade games as declarations of war and attack Earth in the form of various game characters such as Pac-Man and Donkey Kong. Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Peter Dinklage, Josh Gad, Michelle Monaghan, and Brian Cox star in this 2015 sci-fi action comedy directed by Chris Columbus.
