The first episodes of Amazon's Secret Level have been released and they contain a real mixed bag of game adaptations. However, probably the most out-there is the Pac-Man episode that turns the beloved game into essentially a mini horror movie.
Speaking to 12DOVE, Secret Level's executive producer Dave Wilson said the shake-up to the traditional game was spawned by a meeting with the developers. "We just took that and sort of disemboweled what Pac-Man is meant to be," he explains. "They challenged us, the developers. The developers hopped on a call with us and were like – mind you, this was a translator saying this – 'We would like the audiences to wonder, "What the fuck did they do to Pac Man?"' So it's not just our responsibility when audiences watch it. But in that case, it's like, I think people have enough knowledge of what Pac-Man is that we can take some risks."
The episode, titled 'Circle', follows The Swordsman who is a creature trapped in a labyrinth. He has no memories of who he was before and his only interaction is with a small floating sphere that informs him that the only way to escape is to grow stronger by eating – or he will be eaten.
Wilson said they were pitched a lot of ideas for the Pac-Man episode, but there was one that really stood out. "We got a lot of great ideas, but some of them were exactly what you would think a Pac-Man episode would be, and we kept feeling like we're not pushing the limits of what this is," he continues, explaining that it was JT Petty who eventually came up with the unique concept, inspired by his love of horror.
"He came back with that script, and I remember reading it clearly being like, 'I'm not fully sure I get this one, but I'm like, I shouldn't get every episode. It's not all for me, it's an anthology,'" he grins. "And I will say, the script was great, but when we gave it to Victor [Maldonado] and Alfredo [Torres], the directing team called Headless, their pitch was incredible."
Secret Level is airing on Prime Video now. For more on the show, check out our stories on the Warhammer episode and crossover with Henry Cavill's series, why they never considered pulling the Concord episode, and how Keanu Reeves got involved.
We also have a Secret Level review and a breakdown of all the best shows on Prime Video to stream now.
