Todd Howard said there was multiple times people wanted to make Fallout as a movie, and they would always want to do an adaption of the games or particularly 3 and it never was something they felt compelled for. Johnathon Nolan came to them and said he wanted to do an original story but set it in the games universe, so fans could be excited to see a much larger expansive world in the series but newcomers could be welcomed to the franchise without playing the games also.
We are not following a vault dweller, like the games. Instead we are following a Pre-War Ghoul where we will see them before the bombs dropped in futuristic alternate history Sci fi, and after the bombs dropped as he becomes a ghoul. Our lead hero is Walton Goggins[Justified] who we will see the world through his eyes.
The show is set in Los Angeles, known as "The Boneyard" in Fallout 1, 2 and New Vegas.
80% of the budget went to prosthetics, makeup, built Sets, built heavy costumes/weapons, real interactive things for the actors, while the remaining 20% went to the cgi to enhance what couldn't be done real like deathclaws, mutants and other creatures in the Fallout Universe.
Johnathon Nolan is a massive fan of Fallout 1, 2, New Vegas and 3 and said there will be references to the games such as the NCR, the events of the first two games, the Securitrons from New Vegas, and many more.
It's set to be a mature, science fiction, action packed, bleak, gruesome and entertaining narrative but keeps the dark humor from the games in the series.
At Gamescom 2023, critics, journalists and audiences were able to see the first teaser trailer and said it was jaw dropping in how phenomenal the effects were in the footage. The teaser as described online shows pre war LA with robots, and other fun nods to the games, but then goes into nuclear bombs, Brotherhood Of steel soldiers in their big heavy suits, a vault opening, and Our lead Walton Goggins as the Ghoul with the Fallout Theme song playing. It hasn't been available to the public yet but will please audiences.
Vault 33 will be the main vault used in the series.
Other big name actors such as Kyle Mclaughlin[Twin Peaks] and Ella Purnell[Army Of The Dead] are in it but not yet revealed to who they are playing.
Todd Howard, Pete Hines from Bethesda and the original game developers working at Obsedian Entertainment were heavily involved in the TV series production and gave them a blueprint of what's allowed and not for the cannon and lore of the franchise and gave them free Reign to go creative.