The long-gestating television adaptation of the hit video game franchise Payday just picked up some serious muscle. Rap mogul and television producer Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson has officially joined the project as an executive producer. He’ll serve under his G-Unit Film & Television banner, Variety reports.
First announced in March 2026, the live-action crime series is being co-produced by Vice Studios alongside game developer Starbreeze Entertainment. The unites heavy hitters from both media and gaming to bring the masked bank robbers to the small screen.
While the series has yet to attach a showrunner, writer, or distribution platform. However, Jackson’s involvement signals big ambitions for the adaptation. Known for building Starz’s lucrative Power universe, Jackson aims to push the boundaries of the crime genre, framing the project as a high-energy, globe-spanning heist franchise built on betrayal, conspiracy, and high-octane action.
High-Octane Ambitions
The Payday gaming franchise is famous for its tactical, crew-based bank robberies, where players don iconic clown masks to pull off impossibly audacious scores against endless waves of law enforcement. Vice Studios President Amy Powell and Starbreeze CEO Adolf Kristjansson both emphasized that the adaptation won’t be playing it safe, promising an uncompromised take on the criminal fantasy of getting away with the ultimate score.
For Jackson, the venture expands an already stacked television slate. Beyond the sprawling Power franchise, which includes Ghost, Raising Kanan, Force, and upcoming additions Origins and Legacy, G-Unit Film & TV currently produces the hit Starz crime drama “BMF,” the upcoming drama “Fightland,” and the Peacock-bound thriller “The Accomplice” starring Taraji P. Henson.
The Game
Developed by Overkill Software and published by Starbreeze Studios, the Payday franchise is a premier co-op first-person shooter series built entirely around the adrenaline-fueled fantasy of organized crime. Up to four players join forces as masked professional bank robbers, known as the Payday Gang, executing high-risk, high-reward heists.
The game forces teams to balance stealth infiltration, hostage negotiation, vault cracking, and all-out firefights against heavily armed SWAT teams and specialized law enforcement units.
Gaming to TV
“Payday” is just one of the many recent series adaptatioln of gaming franchises. It joins series like “Fallout,” “Twisted Metal,” and “The Last of Us.” The adaptation of “God of War” will also debut this year.
The news proves that this is a major step forward and that the adaptation is finally in motion. We’ll keep you posted as more details surface.
