Masala Games, an independent game studio, has announced that its forthcoming cosy mystery game, Detective Dotson, set to launch on PC and Xbox Series X|S, will also be adapted into an animated film. Titled Detective Dotson: The Movie, the film will make its debut at Hyderabad Comic Con on November 15, 2024. The premiere will feature an exclusive 20-minute preview on the main stage at 3:30 pm, marking a historic moment as the first-ever film adaptation of a video game to be showcased at Comic Con in India.
Here's the trailer for Detective Dotson: The Movie:
Detective Dotson: The Movie - Here's What We Know
Created in Unreal Engine 5, Detective Dotson: The Movie serves as a companion to the soon-to-be-released game, centering on Dotson, an aspiring Bollywood star who unexpectedly becomes a detective. Alongside his friends, Dotson embarks on an investigation to uncover a scheme that poses a threat to the whole country. The film also boasts a unique and culturally rich soundtrack, crafted in collaboration with Nikhil Rao from the iconic band Indian Ocean, often celebrated as pioneer of Indian rock music.
Akin to the game, the movie also has the same stylised 2D-meets-3D rendition of modern-day India.
Detective Dotson is the vision of former EA alumni (Spore) and Oscar-winning Pixar artist (Toy Story 3, Brave), Shalin Shodhan. The founder and CEO of Masala Games, Shalin Shodhan said, “While we envisioned Detective Dotson as a game, we felt its world and characters were also a great fit for a feature-length movie — it’s something we planned for from day one. This is our labour of love. We’re thankful that Comic Con India believes in us enough to help us make history. It’s not every day that the biggest pop culture platform in the country takes notice and we hope you enjoy the adventures of Dotson and friends.”
The founder of Comic Con, Jatin Varma, said, "We're excited and proud to see Detective Dotson premiere at Hyderabad Comic Con. Comic Con India is committed to bringing unique and diverse experiences to our fans, and this is the first time a video game-to-movie adaptation has caught our eye. Hopefully, we see more such passion projects from the Indian games industry.”
The game Detective Dotson picks up where the movie leaves off, immersing players in a mystery adventure set in a stylised version of contemporary India. Stepping into the shoes of Dotson, an unlikely detective, players will uncover secrets and solve puzzles. The game is now available for wishlisting on its Steam store page.