By Michaela Gordoni
Savannah Guthrie will be the face of NBC’s new game show, WORDLE.
The show will be produced by Jimmy Fallon and the New York Times, which owns Wordle, the mobile game, Variety reported.
Guthrie was a natural fit for the role as she loves the game and has enjoyed a long career in TV.
The TV version will “challenge players to solve five-letter word puzzles in a supersized battle of smarts, speed and fun. It builds on the way the puzzle community engages with Wordle every day — solving together, sharing wins, debating strategies and cheering one another on. Now, that style of play comes to life as the most-obsessed and competitive players will team up in squads and go head-to-head in the Wordle arena, playing for an incredible cash prize,” the description reads.
The network opened its casting call for the show. Production will begin later this year.
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NYT’s head of games Jonathan Knight says Wordle is a social experience.
Making the game show “was about translating the actual experience of playing Wordle with your friends, and delivering something that Wordle fans will expect,” he said. “That meant being thoughtful about the show’s gameplay structure, the pacing and how players interact.”
Jim Juvonen and Fallon executive produce for Fallon’s company, Electric Hot Dog, as well as Caitlin Roper and Knight for The New York Times. Wes Kauble will serve as an executive producer and showrunner.
“I feel very honored to be working with Savannah Guthrie on this show,” said Fallon in a statement. “Savannah has that rare combination of intelligence, charm and warmth that makes everyone feel instantly welcome.”
He continued, “And she obviously knows how to host a show. I am SUPERPROUD and HAPPY and I think we developed a SOLID GAMER for PRIME-time.”
TODAY reported that Guthrie will begin filming for the show this summer.
CNN Business reported that NBCUniversal will also license Wordle globally, which means that other networks around the world could produce the game in their local languages.
Caitlin Roper, executive editorial director of film and TV at the Times, said, “Several years ago, The New York Times began developing a Wordle game show. Teaming up with Jimmy Fallon to develop the game for NBC was a perfect fit. We wanted to honor the specific thrill of Wordle, the way people play and share their scores with each other, but also make something new for TV.”
She continued, “Like Jimmy, Savannah is a passionate Wordle player — she even solved on TV in Times Square. No one gets what our contestants will go through like she does.”
The show will air on NBC next year.
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