Ubisoft’s film division has greenlit a feature about senior citizen esports players, to be written and directed by Abby Kohn and Marc Silverstein.
The film is currently untitled and will “follow the rise of an esports team made up entirely of senior citizens as they tackle the world of competitive gaming typically dominated by a younger generation,” Ubisoft told TheWrap.
Silverstein and Kohn have worked together to produce hits like “The Vow” and “Never Been Kissed,” and recently teamed up to direct the 2018 comedy film “I Feel Pretty,” starring Amy Schumer. The untitled esports film is their first venture into directing material about gaming. According to Deadline, Ubisoft Film & Televison’s Jason Altman and Margaret Boykin will produce the film.
The duo will draw from a story by Wall Street Journal reporter Laura Parker, who chronicled the rise of a Stockholm-based esports team entirely made up of players over 60 called the Silver Snipers. Ubisoft said it bought the rights to Parker’s reporting and will use it as the basis for the film.
The esports space is undoubtedly dominated by younger male players under the age of 35, but older player are beginning to catch on.
Parker noted in her original report that “only 28% of Americans aged 50 and older play videogames, compared to 55% of younger Americans, according to a 2018 Pew Research Center survey” — but also reported that older competitors are being drafted by their more youthful family members who want to share their favorite pastime.
Ubisoft is making a push towards more gaming-focused television content — its TV studio, which was formed in 2011, recently commissioned an Apple TV comedy show called “Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet,” which stars “Always Sunny” actor Rob McElhenney as the creative director of a fictional video game publisher.