There’s this alternate universe where the late David Lynch transformed Eric ‘ConcernedApe’ Barone’s Stardew Valley into a blend of murder mystery and apple pie Americana, and in that world, I’m glued to the TV. Here, though, in this somewhat bleak reality, I’m still missing Lynch after his passing last January, while Barone seems pretty set on never turning his cozy game into a film or a show. In a recent chat with IGN, he revealed he’s been approached numerous times about adapting Stardew Valley, but he’s always hesitated, worried the final result might not sit right with him. The one exception? None other than Lynch himself.
Barone shared his thoughts: “I could potentially imagine it being cool. That’s why I said once, if David Lynch wanted to make a Stardew Valley movie in the style of Twin Peaks or something, I’d’ve been like, ‘Yeah, great. You can do whatever you want, Mr. Lynch.’”
“Honestly, I would’ve let him just do whatever,” Barone reflects, with a sense of wistfulness. “I think it would’ve been great.” On the other hand, he’s also concerned about how a movie could shape players’ perceptions of Stardew Valley. “The game is very much about the characters and the world and the tone,” he explains. “To take these characters, who don’t have voices in the game, means you’re using your imagination to fill in the gaps, which makes it way more personal for every player. If it becomes a movie or TV show, those gaps are filled for you.”
He acknowledges it would be cool to see Stardew Valley in theaters, maybe even driving by a marquee displaying it, but he wrestles with the question: “Is it really the best for Stardew Valley?” Reflecting on Lynch’s legacy, let’s not forget those wonderfully bizarre PS2 commercials: “This is so f***ing beautiful.”