While adaptations of beloved books, comics, or video games always include some form of creative license on the part of the makers, there must be a lingering reverence for the source material — no matter how small — that ends up in the final product. It needs to be evident that the people bringing the IP to the screen are genuine fans and not just apathetic cynics looking to make a quick buck off collective nostalgia. Because fans will know whether you’ve done your homework or if you’re just phoning it in.
The talented folks behind Peacock’s Twisted Metal series were hyper-aware of this going into the second season — new episodes of which drop every Thursday. There was no room for error, particularly with a further push into the iconic PlayStation games that inspired the small screen adaptation (i.e. the titular tournament hosted by Calypso).
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How Twisted Metal Season 2 honors the video games through costumes
John Doe, Dollface, Quiet, and Mayhem standing in a field on Twisted Metal Season 2, Episode 3.
“I knew that the remit this time around was just basically plussing everything. More characters, more cars, more fights, more stunts,” series costume designer Liz Vastola tells SYFY WIRE over Zoom. “So in the beginning, it’s sort of like, ‘Whoa!’ You can’t wait to get into it, but there’s also just so much to dive into. But I think with Twisted Metal especially, I always start with the game reference. We try to pay serious fan service and homage to the source material. Starting there and then seeing where we want to divert or pivot based on the actors, the script, etc. But yeah, we always start with what was in the games and then go from there.”
And even though some characters — like John Doe (Anthony Mackie), Quiet (Stephanie Beatriz), and Sweet Tooth (Joel Seanoa and Will Arnett) — don’t have drastic changes to their attire in Season 2, Vastola saw an opportunity to reference the way in which video games both present character redesigns and allow for player customization.
“In a way, we almost think about it as you would a character in a video game having different skins, so-to-speak,” she explains. “Thinking about their costumes as being interchangeable from season to season, but just upgraded.”
Check out exclusive costume design concept art for Twisted Metal Season 2
Concept art for Sweet Tooth in Twisted Metal.
Concept art for John Doe in Twisted Metal.
Concept art for Quiet in Twisted Metal.
Concept art for Mr. Grimm in Twisted Metal.
Concept art for Calypso in Twisted Metal.
Concept art for Dollface in Twisted Metal.
“This project is a dream to be a part of and I hope people love this season,” Vastola concludes. “I hope it gets to continue happening. I’ve really never felt more suited for a job than for this one.”
New episodes of Twisted Metal Season 2 drop onto Peacock every Thursday. The complete first season and previously aired Season 2 episodes can be found here!