Devil May Cry, Castlevania Producer Reveals He Bought The Rights For Duke Nukem With An Adaptation In Mind

The Duke Nukem franchise has remained to be an IP that sits on the back burner more than anything. Despite the series being a renowned lineup of titles decades ago for the first-person shooter genre, the efforts to get more entries off the ground are far and few between. Especially after the long-awaited release of Duke Nukem Forever in 2011.  Back in 2020, Duke Nukem 3D: 20th Anniversary World Tour arrived to Nintendo Switch.

However, 2022 did feature some updates on the series. At PAX East that year, Gearbox Software did confirm that a new game was in development for Duke Nukem. “Gearbox has some other exciting properties like Homeworld, and Brothers in Arms, and Duke Nukem, and we have development action with all of these properties,” CEO Randy Pitchford said. Additionally, Cobra Kai creators Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg are reported to be working on a live-action adaptation for the series.

Amid the wait on an update on the production, it has now been reported that Adi Shakar is working on his own Duke Nukem project. Most recently, Shakar released Devil May Cry on Netflix – which was swiftly greenlit for a second season. Now, Shakar explained to Esquire Magazine that Duke Nukem is on his plate alongside more from the Son of Sparda.

“I got video games in production. Obviously more Devil May Cry. I’m being approached with different IPs and companies that want to work with me. I bought the rights to Duke Nukem. Not the gaming rights, but I bought it from Gearbox,” Shakar told the publication. “It’s a middle finger to everybody,” Shakar said expressing his version of Duke Nukem.

“When Duke Nukem blew up, a bunch of people sat around trying to turn it into a brand, when it’s just a middle finger. Duke Nukem can’t be made by a corporation, because the moment a corporation makes Duke Nukem, it’s no longer Duke Nukem. I don’t intend on having anyone tell me what to do on this one.”

Are you interested in what Duke Nukem from Adi Shakar will entail?

Source: Esquire