Stardew Valley creator open to movie adaptation on one big condition

Stardew Valley creator Eric Barone is open to the idea of a film adaptation but admits the only way it’ll eventuate is if a top-tier studio is involved.

Stardew Valley fans are gearing up for the highly-anticipated Stardew Valley: Festival of Seasons live tour set to begin in 2014. The “intimate” and “immersive” live concert will feature a selection of the game’s most cherished songs from the beloved soundtrack.

With performances scheduled in 14 different locations worldwide, including the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia, ticket sales lasted less than a minute in some cities. Some keen Stardew Valley fans have even reported that getting tickets to the live show was “even harder than Beyonce tickets.”

Amid the monumental success of the live concert ticket sales, Eric Barone, Stardew Valley’s developer, has now opened up about the possibility of the brand moving in new directions, including the tantalizing prospect of a big-screen adaptation.

In an interview with IGN, Barone addressed the topic of expanding the Stardew Valley brand, which has already seen the release of a board game and is now celebrating its musical legacy with a live tour.

Yet, there’s a certain level of hesitancy around taking Stardew Valley to the screens, as Barone explains.

“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,” Barone said. “I would need to be closely involved with that.”

Although Barone acknowledged the exciting possibilities that a film adaptation could offer, he feels as though there’s a level of risk involved, particularly when giving characters of Stardew Valley a voice and life of their own.

However, Barone is far from against the idea, admitting that he would be willing to consider a movie adaptation if it involved collaboration with esteemed studios. “If Studio Ghibli approached me, I would probably say okay, let’s do it,” he shared. “If David Lynch wanted to create a Stardew Valley movie, I would say go ahead, just do it.”

Whether fortunately or unfortunately for some fans, however, Barone remains fully committed to making video games.

His next project, the highly-anticipated Haunted Chocolatier that was first revealed in 2021, is still in the works. And as for when that title’s going to be released for all, Barone kept things short, “Still gonna be a while. I won’t say.”