Amazon MGM Studios is developing an animated “Game of Pets” movie based on the book series by Aaron Blabey, the author behind “The Bad Guys,” according to Deadline. The trade outlet broke the news exclusively Thursday, Oct. 22, with Rideback and Foundation Media Partners producing.
Blabey’s “Game of Pets” books imagine that life on Earth is secretly an intergalactic game show, and the household pets snoozing on your couch are the animal overlords running the whole operation. The story centers on Griff, an 11-year-old whose allergies could fill a notebook, and Bob, a talking axolotl who warns him that the fate of the planet may rest on his shoulders.
What Deadline reported about the “Game of Pets” movie
Deadline reported that the animated feature will adapt Blabey’s new middle-grade series. The first book, “Game of Pets: The Boy Who Knew Too Much,” hit U.S. shelves Sept. 29 and debuted at No. 4 on The New York Times Children’s Middle Grade Hardcover best-seller list. No director, voice cast, release date or production timeline has been announced for the film.
Rideback co-CEOs Jonathan Eirich and Michael LoFaso are producing alongside Foundation Media Partners’ Patrick Hughes. Blabey will executive produce with Rideback’s Nick Reynolds, the same role he held on DreamWorks Animation’s “The Bad Guys” films and on Netflix’s adaptation of his book “Thelma the Unicorn.”
What it means for fans of “The Bad Guys” author
Blabey has more than 60 million books in print worldwide, according to Deadline, and “Game of Pets” marks his latest work to draw Hollywood interest. His “Bad Guys” series already became a DreamWorks Animation franchise whose two films have grossed nearly $500 million worldwide combined. He is also the author of “Cat on the Run” and “Pig the Pug.”
For fans who enjoyed the humor and visual style of “The Bad Guys,” having the same author and the same producing partner on board suggests “Game of Pets” could carry a similar tone. So far, though, no specific creative connections between the projects have been announced beyond Blabey and Foundation’s involvement.
Background on the production companies
Rideback, one of the producers on “Game of Pets,” had a major year in 2025. The company produced Disney‘s live-action “Lilo & Stitch,” which grossed more than $1 billion worldwide, ranked among the year’s biggest box office hits and already has a sequel in development. Rideback also produced Disney’s 2019 live-action “Aladdin,” directed by Guy Ritchie and starring Will Smith, which grossed $1.05 billion worldwide.
Foundation Media Partners, the other producer attached to the project, was founded by Hughes, who still leads the company. Foundation is also behind “The Bad Guys” franchise and Netflix’s “Thelma the Unicorn,” giving it a long track record with Blabey’s work. The company began working with Blabey’s publisher, Macmillan, on a “Game of Pets” film franchise in early 2025, well before the first book reached readers.
What’s next for “Game of Pets”
No casting, director or release window has been announced. The project is in development at Amazon MGM Studios, and any additional production updates will likely come from the studio or its producing partners.
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