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Heavenly Sword movie slicing and dicing in September
Cinedigm announced the Heavenly Sword movie arrives on Blu-ray. DVD and the PlayStation Store on September 2, proving this is still a reality in which the Heavenly Sword movie exists. It's still so weird to see Blockade Entertainment's CGI film in action, knowing it's the first major use of the Sony property since Ninja Theory's 2007 PS3 game. As IGN reports, the film stars Fringe actress Anna Torv as heroine Nariko, Alfred Molina as King Bohan, Thomas Jane as Loki and Nolan North in a surprise Nathan Drake cameo - okay, that last one's not true, but maybe it should be. North is really in the film, but a man who isn't is Andy Serkis, who wasn't available to reprise his role as the villainous Bohan. Meanwhile, rumors of a Haze film adaptation remain something we made up just now. [Image: Sony]
In Heavenly Sword's name, the first trailer for a CGI movie [update]
Six months ago it was a footnote to the Ratchet & Clank movie's announcement. Now the Heavenly Sword film has a full-blown trailer and is really rather real, apparently. Yes, it does seem bizarre that an IP neglected by Sony since it was a 2007 PS3 game is being converted into a CGI movie. Nonetheless, that is what's happening, and the film will be shown at "some theaters" in the coming summer, before heading to DVD. Blockade Entertainment's movie stars the very recognizable likes of Anna Torv (Fringe), who voiced Nariko in the game, Alfred Molina (all the best films), and Thomas Jane (The Punisher), as well as Nolan North (all the games) according to an IGN interview. The interview also revealed Andy Serkis, who acted in and provided motion-capture for the Ninja Theory game, wasn't available. That's a precious shame, but by the sound of things the film will at least tie closely to the game's plot, albeit with one "major deviation." "In the game you never actually get to see the true 'chosen one' because he was never born," producer Brad Foxhaven told IGN, "In the film, though, we introduce him-and give Nariko the task of getting the Heavenly Sword to him. This creates a driving element through the second act of the film, and places even more pressure on Nariko when everything falls apart." Update: According to the PlayStation Blog, "The Heavenly Sword film is slated to be released digitally worldwide, as well as theatrically in select global markets, in Spring 2014."
Heavenly Sword also becoming a movie, direct to video
Ratchet & Clank isn't the only Sony franchise from which Blockade Entertainment is adapting an animated film. As almost a footnote on Variety's article about the Ratchet movie, the publication reports that Blockade is producing a CG animated movie based on Heavenly Sword, for a direct to video release.Heavenly Sword was a PlayStation 3 exclusive way back in 2007, an action game by Ninja Theory about a warrior, Nariko, who wields the magical sword protected by her clan in a campaign against an evil tyrant.
Ratchet & Clank movie announced, coming to cinemas 2015
Insomniac Games announced a Ratchet & Clank animated film today, and it's coming to cinemas in 2015. The movie has Insomniac partner up with digital media studio Blockade Entertainment and computer animation company Rainmaker Entertainment, who recently produced 3D CGI flick Escape from Planet Earth.A Rainmaker press release from February 2013 indicates their next film, a collaboration with Blockade, entered pre-production in January; production was then scheduled to begin on March 4. Rainmaker notes completion "remains on schedule for third quarter 2014.""One of the biggest questions we've gotten in the last few years is 'When are you going to make a Ratchet & Clank movie?" Insomniac Community Lead James Stevenson wrote on the PlayStation Blog. "The truth is, we've wanted to do a movie for a long time! Ratchet & Clank's action, humor and galaxy-spanning adventures have really been the basis for a fantastic game series, and we think it'd translate perfectly to the big screen."Stevenson also revealed Ratchet & Clank writer T.J. Fixman is scripting the film, while Insomniac also has a "hands-on role" with production and animation.
GameplayHD's videogame animated series "Sacred Road" launches this fall
Voom's GameplayHD channel has a new 3D animated action series on the way, Sacred Road. As if we weren't already getting enough HD gaming in (CoD4 anyone?), the new series is being created entirely within a videogame engine, taking Red vs. Blue's concept to a whole new level. With graphical assets courtesy of Gearbox Software's Brothers in Arms game, Sacred Road is about a group of WWII soldiers caught up fighting Nazi's with an army of undead World War I fighters at their command. Check it out this fall, either on GameplayHD or via the website.[Via GameIndustry.com]
