Pedro Pascal is Detective Tim Rockford (a nod to James Garner’s ’70s P.I. Jim Rockford), in short film “A Twisted Game” for mobile game Merge Mansion, which developer Metacore released Friday. The game’s milestone update is set for March 28.
Rockford is investigating the mysterious Boulton family mansion and its even more mysterious matriarch, with the burning question, “What is Grandma hiding?” A lot of knives, for one thing.
“It’s almost like some twisted game,” mutters Pascal at one point as he tries to unravel the family’s secrets. He also has an “evidence wall” to rival Charlie Day’s from “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.”
“’Merge Mansion’ has created a fascinating story centered around family drama filled with mystery and secrets that has captivated fans all around the world through their entertaining and unpredictable video campaigns,” said Pascal in a statement.
“Making this short film for ‘Merge Mansion’ was truly a unique experience and I had so much fun working with Martin to fulfill his vision and bring the lore of ‘Merge Mansion’ to life. From the first day, it was clear how much love and passion the group at Metacore has for its characters and this game and I’m happy that I got to be a part of their next big moment,” he said.
“This campaign has been a dream project for me. Getting the opportunity to translate the Merge Mansion game into a mockumentary short gave the crew and I the opportunity to flex all our filmic muscles,” said director Martin Werner, whose previous projects includes the Heineken ad where Benicio Del Toro is mistaken for Antonio Banderas.
“Being able to structure everything around a world class actor like Pedro Pascal took the concept to a higher level and although Pedro is playing a fictional character here, the legacy of his previous work felt like it combined perfectly with our take on the Merge Mansion universe. I am truly proud of what we have been able to put together, it required sheer precision and teamwork from the entire crew who all performed to the highest level from start to finish,” Werner added.
Metacore is also holding a launch party at Los Angeles’s Paramour Estate, which will be transformed into the Boulton family mansion for an immersive experience that is part live-action theater, part escape room and part lore museum, with Pascal and other special guests.
Pascal, meanwhile, keeps busy: The final episode of Season 1 of “The Last of Us” airs this Sunday on HBO, and Season 3 of “The Mandalorian” debuted on Disney+ on March 1.
