Stardew Valley creator ConcernedApe, also known as Eric Barone, would approve of his popular video game being turned into a movie if it was made by either Studio Ghibli or David Lynch.
In a recent interview with IGN, Barone opened up about why he was hesitant to see Starview Valley turned into a feature film.
“I’m just too protective of my IP to just hand it over to someone and say go ahead and make a Stardew Valley movie or whatever,” he explained. “I would need to be closely involved with that.”
Barone did say, however, that there were a select few studios/filmmakers that he’d approve of handling a movie adaptation.
“If Studio Ghibli approached me, I would probably say okay, let’s do it,” he revealed. “If David Lynch approached me and wanted to make a Stardew Valley movie, I would say go ahead, just do it.”
What is ConcernedApe’s Stardew Valley?
Released in 2016, Stardew Valley is an open-ended video game that allows players to run their own farm, socialize with (and even wed) other townspeople, and more. As of May 2022, the game has sold more than 20 million copies across various platforms.
Studio Ghibli is known for creating films such as 1986’s Castle in the Sky, 1988’s Grave of the Fireflies, 1989’s Kiki’s Delivery Service, 2001’s Spirited Away, 2004’s Howl’s Moving Castle, 2008’s Ponyo, 2010’s Arrietty, and more. The studio’s most recent film, The Boy and the Heron, is directed by Hayao Miyazaki and, having already been released in Japan, is now scheduled to hit United States theaters on December 8, 2023.
Lynch, meanwhile, is highly regarded for making Twin Peaks with Mark Frost in the early 1990s. He’s also made a number of other notable movies, including 1997’s Eraserhead, 1984’s Dune, 1986’s Blue Velvet, 1997’s Lost Highway, and 2001’s Mulholland Drive. Lynch’s last feature film was 2006’s Inland Empire, though he’s continued making short films over the years and co-developed Twin Peaks: The Return in 2017 with Frost. He also played John Ford in Steven Spielberg’s The Fabelmans, which was released in 2022.
