Category: Game Movie

Carpenter would love to make Dead Space film; I think he’s the best man for the job

John Carpenter

John Carpenter is one of the most respected filmmakers alive. He’s famous for having made Halloween, The Thing, and In the Mouth of Madness, all of which are considered to be some of the best horror films ever made. Having said that, Carpenter would now love to make a movie on Dead Space.

He revealed this to Game Informer, adding that “it’s just great stuff.” The filmmaker notes that it’s “ready-made”, referring to its sci-fi horror story of people coming across an abandoned spaceship and finding something aboard.

While all this is exciting, it’s sad to point out that the franchise’s future is yet unclear. EA has made it known that Dead Space 3, despite being well received by critics, didn’t do so well at retail. The game introduced cooperative modes that worked its way into the story; however, it moved away from psychological horror to action horror, which some fans have said was a major blow to the popularity of the series.

Whatever may happen to the series, Carpenter expressing interest in it is a big deal. The man is a legend at horror, and his work on In the Mouth of Madness shows that he can handle Lovecraftian stories quite well. Dead Space has a lot of Lovecraft vibes going on, so Carpenter not only makes sense, he’s the best man around to do a film adaptation of it. His work on The Prince of Darkness was amazing, too, which further solidifies this argument.

Carpenter for Dead Space. The ball is now in EA’s court.

New Tekken movie in the works, Ong Bak director signed on

tekken movie posterA brand new Tekken movie is in the works. This comes from The Hollywood Reporter, which notes that it is a sequel to the straight-to-DVD 2010 film. However, a theatrical release is planned this time.

It is being worked on by production company Crystal Sky, which has signed on Prachya Pinkaew to direct. He is known for the much-loved Ong Bak. They plan not to cast any big-name stars, but to bring on actors that resemble their videogame counterparts.

No planned release date is known at the moment.

Dante’s Inferno Animated Film Announced

Going the Dead Space route, EA today announced that they have partnered with Starz Media’s Film Roman to start production on an animated movie based on the upcoming Dante’s Inferno videogame. The film will expand on the story in the game which is due out next year on PS3 and Xbox 360.

Following the story set by the legendary epic poem, the film will explore hell through Dante’s eyes as he searches for his true love, Beatrice. The film will combine some of the best talent in the animation industry – Film Roman’s Joe Goyette (Dead Space: Downfall) is the producer on the project, Victor Crook (The Spectacular Spider-man, Hellboy Animated: Blood & Iron) is directing and Brandon Auman (Iron Man: Armored Adventures) is writing.

“This is like nothing else out in the marketplace right now – a visually stunning project based on one of the most powerful stories ever told,” notes Jay Fukuto, Head of Studio for Film Roman. “It could only happen with a partner with the vision and creativity of EA. They were great collaborators on ‘Dead Space: Downfall,’ and we expect another very rewarding experience with this new feature.”

The animated film will most probably be released alongside the game.

Pac-Man Film Rights Bought for $200 million

The following bit may be hard to believe, but please… bear with me: the film rights to Pac-Man have been picked up by Hollywood production company Crystal Sky Pictures for $200 million.

The $200 million development deal was funded by entertainment financier Grosvenor Park, Variety reports. The transaction also includes funding for the upcoming Castlevania movie, which was delayed due to the writer’s strike.

No other details on the project were disclosed.

Jake Gyllenhaal Cast as Prince

Ever thought of who would be the actor to play the Prince in the coming Prince of Persia movie? Well, think no more – Hollywood Reporter is reporting that Jake Gyllenhaal has been cast to be the lead actor in the Prince of Persia: Sands of Time film in the titular role of the Prince. He will play opposite Gemma Arterton as the princess Tamina.

Gyllenhaal has had a pretty interesting career, known best for his roles in Brokeback Mountain and Donnie Darko.

The movie is being produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and is being directed by Mike Newell. It is start filming this July on a script penned by Jordan Mechner, the person responsible for the creation of the Prince of Persia series back in 1989.

Tekken Film Director Named

It has been announced that Dwight Little, the director behind Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid and Free Willy 2, has been chosen to helm the upcoming live-action film adaptation of Tekken, Namco Bandai’s popular fighting franchise.

“The film plays out as a science fiction story set in the near future, about a rebel who rises up against the Tekken Corp. to seize freedom for his people,” Little said to Variety. “It’s a gladiator story, but the video game has a complicated enough storyline that it provides the template for a martial arts spectacular.”

The movie’s script has been penned by Alan McElroy (Spawn, Halloween 4) and will begin production on February 4, 2008.

Return to Castle Wolfenstein… Eventually

The Hollywood writer’s strike is taking a toll on TV shows and movies, but thankfully not on videogames. Even then, SCI-FI WIRE reports that the Return to Castle Wolfenstein movie is on hold due to the strike.

Roger Avary (Beowulf, Silent Hill) is the writer of the script behind the film, revealing that he is “almost done” with the script and that he is “proud of it”, but that the production date and the consequent events are currently on hold due to the strike, which he “fully support[s].”

When asked about what the game will be like, he had this to say: “a World War II old movie of guys who are out on a mission, but this one will have the addition of monsters and horror and a lot of craziness all mixed together.”

EverQuest Movie Being Developed

Variety reports that an EverQuest movie is in the works and that Sony has already hired “300” scribe Michael Gordon to pen the live-action adaptation. They also report that former Marvel Studios executive Avi Arad will produce the picture for Columbia Pictures.

Apparently, the project has been in development for quite a few years, but Gordon is the first to take a stab at the material. It is too early to say how long it will take for the movie to come out, but if everything goes as well as planned, fanboys can look forward to dressing up as EverQuest characters sometime in 2009.

Gears of War Movie Faces Budget Problems

Following the Halo movie, it seems another Microsoft property Gears of War might not be getting made into a movie anytime soon. New Line Cinema, the studio which acquired the film rights to the adaptation, is backing away from the film due to an ever-rising budget. The financial problems stem from having a triple-A cast as well as the usage of green screens, because the film simply cannot be done without it. The risk of betting so much money on such a franchise is also another factor.