Let’s return to the Madness, shall we? Insane Children, as we’re called, our time has come once again. American McGee, the twisted mind behind arguably one of the best Alice in Wonderland adaptations, is experiencing a wild stroke of luck lately. After almost a decade, his franchise is seeing a resurgence on attention. Announced this week, Alice: Madness Returns, the second game in the series, has reappeared on Steam after 6 years.
Ready for an insane TV series?
This news comes on the heels of a bigger announcement last month. It was revealed that both American McGee’s Alice and Madness Returns will be adapted for a TV series by Radar Pictures with David Hayter as showrunner. If that name rings a metal bell, that could be because he voiced Solid Snake and Naked Snake for Metal Gear Solid. In addition to working on X-Men (2000), X-2 and Watchmen, he was King Shark in CW’s DC Universe through 2019. So, he knows a little bit about weirdness.
American McGee, on the other hand, is all about trips down the rabbit hole. His darkly wonderful franchise popped on the video game scene in 2000, from EA Games, and gave players a thrill ride into Wonderland like we had never seen before. Dealing with issues like mental health and grief in a wickedly nightmarish, but relatable way, the game gained enough popularity to get a sequel in 2011.
He will be involved in the coming TV series, although to what extent is not known yet.
Alice’s journey isn’t over
Madness Returns is an even stranger journey as Alice tries to deal with PTSD from the deaths of her entire family, events she blames herself for. Lines again blur between what is real, and what might just be madness. As a result, characters we thought we knew from Lewis Carroll’s beloved stories reveal their monstrous sides.
Part action adventure, part psychological horror platformer, Madness Returns remains a game that needs to be experienced to be believed, and still draws a faithful community following. A sequel of sorts- Alice: Otherlands, consists of two animated films: Leviathan and A Night at the Opera. Work on the final game, Alice: Asylum, is happening, despite setbacks, including some difficulties with the IPs held by EA. The artwork “design bible” and plotline description promise Asylum with be even darker than its predecessors.
For those wanting to catch up, it might take a bit of magic. Alice is only available for purchase through 3rd party sites. Madness Returns can be found on Steam for $19.99 and through Xbox Game Pass. Both options are eligible for EA Plays.
Stay tuned for more news as it develops. And check out American’s Patreon for first looks at new artwork and design.
Any Insane Children out there? I’m all rabbit ears! Drop me a note and let’s talk.
