The world of video games is often a cycle of rebirth, where once-dormant intellectual properties find new life under the stewardship of developers who grew up playing them. Among the most unexpected but welcome resurrections in recent memory is Stuntman: Hollywood, a modern reimagining of a franchise that hasn’t seen a new entry in nearly two decades. Developed by Saber Interactive, the title represents more than just a nostalgic trip back to the early 2000s; it is an ambitious attempt to bridge the gap between interactive entertainment and the golden age of Hollywood blockbusters.
Slated for a release in 2027, Stuntman: Hollywood is positioning itself as a tour of the past in two distinct ways. First, it revives a gameplay loop that was unique in its era—tasking players not with winning a race, but with executing precise, dangerous maneuvers on a film set. Second, it leverages a massive stable of iconic film and television brands, from the neon-soaked streets of Miami Vice to the time-traveling antics of Back to the Future. By combining the "perfect run" mechanics of the original games with high-fidelity licenses from Universal Pictures and beyond, Saber Interactive is looking to create a definitive stunt-driving simulator.
The Pedigree of a Cult Classic
To understand the anticipation surrounding Stuntman: Hollywood, one must look back to the franchise’s origins. The original Stuntman, released in 2002, was developed by the Newcastle-based studio Reflections Interactive—the same team behind the revolutionary Driver series. Published by the now-defunct French company Infogrames, the game was a departure from traditional racing titles. It wasn’t about the finish line; it was about the process. Players were cast as a fledgling stunt driver working through various film sets, required to hit specific marks, perform jumps, and endure "takes" until the director was satisfied.
The game was notorious for its difficulty, demanding millisecond-perfect timing and a high tolerance for trial and error. Despite its punishing nature, it resonated with players who craved the fantasy of being a Hollywood daredevil. A sequel, Stuntman: Ignition, followed in 2007 under THQ, but the franchise eventually faded into the background as the industry shifted toward open-world driving and narrative-heavy experiences.
For many years, the Stuntman IP sat in the archives of various holding companies, an unlikely candidate for a big-budget reboot. However, the shifting tides of the gaming industry—and the specific corporate history of Saber Interactive—provided the perfect opening for its return.
The Road to Independence and Iconic Partnerships
The provenance of Stuntman: Hollywood is as complex as a Hollywood contract negotiation. According to Tim Willits, Chief Creative Officer of Saber Interactive, the project’s roots can be traced back to the company’s tenure under the Embracer Group. Embracer, known for its rapid and massive acquisition strategy, purchased Saber Interactive in 2020. During this period, Saber found itself in possession of a vast catalog of legacy IPs, including Stuntman.
As Willits explained during an interview at Gamescom, the decision to revive the brand was born from a combination of internal passion and external opportunity. "Stuntman was an IP that Embracer owned, so when we were in the Embracer family, we were like, ‘Hey, we love driving games,’" Willits noted. The timing was fortuitous; Saber had a team coming available with significant experience in the driving genre, and the company’s burgeoning relationship with Universal Pictures provided the final piece of the puzzle.
