PS3 classic PayDay is becoming a movie: Sonic producer takes on theatrical adaptation

The bank-heist game franchise PayDay is getting a film adaptation for theaters. Swedish developer and publisher Starbreeze has signed a deal with production company DJ2 Entertainment to turn the intellectual property into a live-action action film.

The production company chosen to lead the venture is known in the market for its work on successful game adaptations for big and small screens, including the feature Sonic the Hedgehog and the animated series project based on Tomb Raider.

Franchise history and what to expect from the adaptation

Originally released in 2011 with PayDay: The Heist, the game established the premise of a cooperative shooter focused on four masked robbers pulling off complex heists on banks, armored trucks and jewelry stores. Its success was cemented in 2013 with PayDay 2, a title that gathered tens of millions of players and kept an active community for more than a decade through constant content updates.

The franchise narrative follows the PayDay gang as it plans and executes clandestine operations in the United States capital, Washington, D.C., facing police forces, SWAT teams and private mercenaries. This narrative structure focused on frenetic action and strategic planning serves as the direct foundation for the film adaptation.

Previous Hollywood experience and brand expansion

DJ2 Entertainment has specialized in bringing games to TV and film productions. Beyond SEGA’s blue hedgehog franchise, the company maintains active partnerships to adapt other video game titles, such as Disco Elysium, Life is Strange and It Takes Two.

The feature announcement coincides with market preparations for PayDay 3, the franchise’s new main chapter focused on expanding the cooperative experience. The move seeks to position the PayDay brand across multiple entertainment formats, extending the heist universe beyond its native gaming audience.