The Horizon franchise has a ton of potential in its immense world-building, which is likely why a multiplayer spin-off and Netflix adaptation were considered as part of the IP. It seems as though The Last of Us’ success on HBO was impeccably timed, since multiple other games have also announced adaptations in different streaming services, and Horizon seems to also be capitalizing on that trend. It is still unconfirmed if the show will revolve around Aloy and the events of Horizon Zero Dawn or not, though one rumor suggested an unexpected alternative for it.
The rumor claimed that the show will be titled Horizon 2074, though there have since been clarifications that this was simply a codename for another production. That could be true, but if it's a prequel that concentrates on Horizon’s Old Ones rather than its present day characters regardless, it would risk running into a big amount of disappointment from fans. If Netflix’s Horizon show is set before civilization fell, it will have conveniently avoided having to include one of the most distinctive and entertaining parts of the Horizon franchise: its massive mechanical creatures.
Horizon’s Netflix Series Could Try to Cut Down on Expenses with a Prequel
Not currently knowing if Netflix’s Horizon show is indeed a prequel or present day narrative, there is an equal chance that either route is decided upon. The Last of Us may have been successful as an adaptation, but it should be taken as a cautionary warning that other adaptations of games may think it is okay to be lenient on gameplay content. The Last of Us decided to make the infection a hive mind and then hardly featured any infected people aside from in a couple of memorable episodes, and action in general was largely toned down from the encounters that Joel and Ellie experience.
This could send the wrong message and state that adaptations can cut down a lot of the cost from special effects and CGI if they simply avoid fight sequences and other effects-intensive moments from the source material. If Horizon’s adaptation is a political drama centered around Dr. Elisabet Sobeck and Ted Faro, then it successfully avoids having to break the bank on a budget that would otherwise be needed for Horizon’s best feature.
Horizon is Not the Same Without Its Giant Mechanical Creatures
This budget would otherwise be going toward the colossal mechanical creatures that roam the world in the present day following a planned terraforming of the earth. Horizon’s tribes are diverse and it can be interesting learning from characters belonging to the Oseram, Banuk, Nora, and others, though its most distinguishing feature is the machine-animals that have supplanted fauna in this new age.
However, in order to showcase this content from the game, the adaptation would need to be set in the present day, and it still could be. Netflix has an unenviable task of casting Aloy if the show is indeed set during the events of Horizon Zero Dawn, but she would certainly need to be there. Aloy is integral to the franchise since she is a clone of Sobeck—and therefore a biological key to understanding what happened in the past—but the show would be incomplete without seeing her topple a Stormbird, Thunderjaw, Fanghorn, or Snapmaw.
While a prequel show could still contain a few massive machines like Horus Titans, odds are that it wouldn't focus on Operation Enduring Victory and its hopeless machine battles, but rather Sobeck and her team's all-important mission. This means machines are all but guaranteed to be sidelined in a prequel If Netflix cannot find the means to achieve these sequences, then it simply should not have considered adapting the games since it will not be an authentic adaptation.
A live-action Horizon series is in development for Netflix.