Crash Bandicoot Is Finally Heading to the Screen, and a Fresh Trademark Filing Tells You Everything
Few gaming icons have had a more complicated relationship with the spotlight than ‘Crash Bandicoot’. The franchise was originally created by Naughty Dog as a flagship title for Sony’s PlayStation console, debuting in 1996 and quickly becoming one of the defining mascots of that console generation. Despite a devoted global fanbase, Crash has spent much of the past decade on the sidelines while gaming contemporaries evolved into major entertainment properties across film and television.
That absence from the cultural conversation may be coming to an end. Following Microsoft’s completion of its acquisition of Activision Blizzard, the tech giant now holds ownership of the ‘Crash Bandicoot’ franchise alongside other major properties including ‘Call of Duty’, ‘Spyro’, ‘Warcraft’, and ‘Overwatch’. With those resources in play, the question of what comes next for the beloved marsupial has been one fans have watched closely.
The most concrete answer yet arrived this week when Activision officially filed a trademark for ‘Crash Bandicoot’ covering motion pictures and television programs. The filing was spotted by the GamingLeaksAndRumours subreddit, with the European Union Intellectual Property Office approving an application from Activision that explicitly covers motion pictures and television programs. The trademark, numbered 019256945, sits firmly in entertainment broadcasting classifications. The process was initiated in October of last year, received official approval in March, and the trademark is set to remain valid until October 2035, opening a wide window for future projects.
While the company has not yet provided a specific release date or a list of production partners for a feature-length film, the filing covers both cinematic and episodic television formats. That dual scope lines up neatly with rumors that had already been circulating on two separate fronts. Back in October 2025, What’s On Netflix reported that the streaming service had been quietly working on a ‘Crash Bandicoot’ animated TV show, with WildBrain Studios named as the animation team behind the project. WildBrain is the same studio that produced ‘Sonic Prime’ between 2022 and 2024. The studio’s portfolio also includes ‘Carmen Sandiego’, ‘Johnny Test’, and ‘Go, Dog. Go!’, demonstrating a strong track record with family and youth-oriented animation on Netflix.
Alongside the Netflix series rumor, there have also been reports pointing to a full theatrical film, and with both properties in various stages of early development, one might suspect a coordinated multimedia push is in the works. The timing is far from accidental. Video game adaptations have become one of the dominant forces in both streaming and cinema over the past few years, and the growing list of successful gaming properties on screen, including ‘The Witcher’, ‘Arcane’, and ‘Cyberpunk: Edgerunners’, has made it clear that the appetite for this kind of content is not slowing down.
Should the Netflix project proceed, it would represent the character’s first time headlining his own dedicated television series. For a franchise that sold tens of millions of copies across its revival era alone, that kind of screen presence feels long overdue. Whether you are hoping for a faithful adaptation of the chaotic platformer energy the games are known for, or something bold enough to introduce Crash to a whole new generation, now feels like the moment to start paying attention.
Would you rather see Crash Bandicoot given the big-screen theatrical treatment first, or does a Netflix animated series feel like the right home for the manic marsupial?
