9 Years Ago, An Underrated DC Comic Proved A Clash Of Clans Show Could Be Cool

Netflix is looking to turn one of gaming’s biggest sensations into its next animated hit. The streamer announced it’s turning the Clash Of Clans franchise into a television show, and it’s already in preproduction.

Developer SuperCell, the team behind free-to-play Clash Of Clans and its tower defense spinoff Clash Royale mobile games, has partnered with Netflix to bring the zany world of building settlements and quarreling factions in the ancient world to life.

“The series will follow a Barbarian who rallies a band of misfits to defend their village all while navigating the comically absurd politics of war,” the studio said in its announcement.

The show will be run by Fletcher Moules, who directed the Kid Cudi-fronted animated romance flick Entergalactic and produced 2023’s Agent Elvis. This isn’t the first time Moules has worked on Clash Of Clans, as he’s had a hand in the very successful animated shorts that have garnered millions of views on YouTube.

Joining Moules as head writer is Ron Weiner, a prominent writer in the world of American sitcoms, including Futurama, Arrested Development, 30 Rock, and Silicon Valley. Icon Creative Studio, the Vancouver-based outfit who’s worked with Disney on series like Monsters At Work and Young Jedi Adventures, will handle animation.

While it’s far the first video game begging for an adaptation, as the Clash games are very light on lore and story, I am inclined to say there’s potential in this idea. What gives me faith in the upcoming Netflix project? A nine-year-old comic book of all things.

The 2016 DC Comic based on The Flintstones was a surprisingly fantastic adaptation that turned the benign animated source material from the 1960s into a witty satire of modern American life. Like Clash Of Clans, original The Flintstones TV show follows ancient humans facing contemporary issues, a sort of prehistoric take on the classic sitcom The Honeymooners. This basic premise, however, was turned on its head in the 2016 comic book, as each issue contained biting commentary on heavy topics the excesses of war, bigotry, and the exploitative nature of unchecked capitalism. While Clash will likely be a more lighthearted affair, it’s enough of a blank slate that its creators can craft something with a bit more going for it than we’d all expect.

And when I read “navigating the comically absurd politics of war” in the early synopsis of Clash Of Clans, I can’t help but think of one of the coolest sleepers hits in comic books over the last decade. Especially given who’s involved, there’s potential here.

Released in 2012, Clash Of Clans is one of mobile gaming’s biggest success stories. Like other big mobile hits, the original Clash quietly has one of the most active communities in all of gaming, with a huge competitive scene, regular season updates pop cultural crossover events, and more. In 2016, SuperCell released Clash Royale, adding an action-focused MOBA spin to the cartoonish universe of building and pillaging. In record time, Royale became just as successful as its sister game, earning its first billion dollars in less than a year.

Together, both games have garnered a staggering more than four billion downloads between them, with players sinking over 180 billion gameplay hours into the multiplayer strategy games.

Video game adaptations are all the rage right now, and for good reason. With the two-decade-long superhero craze cooling off and more people playing video games than ever before, the rush to turn franchises audiences recognize into box office and streaming hits seems to be in full swing. And after the critical and commercial successes of shows like The Last Of Us, Fallout, and Arcane, there’s little reason to slow down in finding the next television darling.