adaptation
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Ubisoft launching film studio focused on game adaptations
Ubisoft's got its finger in a number of cinematic pies, including the founding of its own CGI studio and the acquisition of special effects company Hybride -- now, the publisher can add its very own film studio to its ... pie safe, we guess. Variety reports the company opened up a division named Ubisoft Motion Pictures in Paris, which will be headed by former EuropaCorp CEO Jean-Julien Baronnet, and will focus on adapting Ubisoft's franchises into films and TV shows. You guys realize what this means, right? We mean, it's pretty obvious. Given the success of last year's Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time movie, they're going to follow it up with a television miniseries based on Smurfs Dance Party. Like, duh.
Red Faction production stills look very, very surly
The SyFy press site recently added a handful of production stills for its upcoming original film adaptation of the Red Faction franchise, posted in the gallery below. Did you know that, in addition to being composed of red rocks, Mars is also made out of frowns?
Mike Bithell conceptualizes a game based on Source Code
Bossa Studios lead designer Mike Bithell, whom you may remember as the creator of the 24-hour project Thomas Was Alone, knows a thing or two about coming up with compelling game concepts. We're not surprised that he recently turned his sights on gameifying one of our favorite movies of 2011 so far: Source Code. On his personal blog, Bithell explained how the film's penchant for Groundhog Day-esque repetition would translate over to a game mechanic, even drawing a handy diagram to illustrate his ideas. Personally, we'd love for his vision to come to fruition, if only to achieve our dream of getting our Gyllenhaal fix in a video game format. We can't just keep playing Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time and pretending, you know. It's not healthy.
David O. Russell responds to Uncharted movie fan concerns
David O. Russell is currently making headlines as the Academy Award-nominated director of The Fighter. But gamers are probably more interested in one of his next projects: a silver screen adaptation of the Uncharted series. The numerous changes made to the core story have some fans concerned that Russell simply doesn't get it. Responding to those accusations, Russell told SlashFilm that he's "played the game a bunch of times" and has even met Naughty Dog's Amy Hennig. "As far as I'm concerned, I'm very respectful as far as the core content and spirit of the game." Russell argues that "there's not a bunch of movies you can point to that are made from games that are amazing movies, that stand up to time as a franchise or as [individual films]." By focusing on "what I think is going to be an amazing movie," Russell says that "it's going to be real, it's going to be raw, it's going to be intense, it's going to be original, and it's going to be propulsive." (And he apparently doesn't know who Nathan Fillion is.)
Visceral: 'A lot of discussion' over live-action Dead Space film
Though there are plenty of jollies to be had from the uber-gory Dead Space Aftermath animated feature, we've got a powerful desire in our heart-of-hearts to lay eyes upon a live-action film set in the Dead Space universe. We're not the only ones. In a recent interview with BBC News, Visceral Games art director Ian Milham explained, "We would love to have a live action film and we've had a lot of discussion. But one of the reasons Dead Space still exists and is popular is because we've made sure to do everything right. So we're doing the same with the film, not just a cheap cash-in but to do something really worthwhile, so we'll see." We appreciate how much thought you're putting into this -- an unprecedented amount of thought, you might say -- though, really, we can't think of an easier game to adapt to film. Here's our simple plan for how we're gonna make this work: Give the rights to adapt the game over to the guys who make the Saw movies. Book two tickets on the 10 o' clock money train to Cashtown.
Rayman 3D is an 'adaptation' of Rayman 2
Tucked away in Ubisoft's 3DS lineup press release is this golden nugget: Rayman 3D is actually an "adaptation" of the classic Rayman 2 (the Dreamcast version, specifically). Those of you who have experienced the joy of Rayman 2 can probably stop reading now. The rest of you will be glad to hear that the 3DS version will feature "major updates" to certain gameplay elements, including "accessibility, progression and learning curve." Frankly, we're just glad to have a new excuse to collect Lums again.
THQ: Saint's Row movie coming, will be announced next month
We've frequently been addled with this thought: Why hasn't anyone made a movie starring Keith David and a dude dressed up like a hot dog, who wander around large metropolitan areas indiscriminately shooting vehicles, buildings and people with rocket launchers? That is a movie we'd pay well over the standard ticket price to see ... and we might soon have our chance! In a recent interview with Gamasutra, THQ CEO Brian Farrell revealed that the company will announce a Saint's Row movie sometime next month. Though no details about the film were revealed, Farrell said the plan is to make sure the film and the next installment in the over-the-top crime series will release at the same time, saying "this builds our brand at no cost to us." Sure, it does -- unless the film is like, wicked bad. Like, Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever bad. Like, Alone in the Dark bad.
Storyboard: Brother from another series
Some players and characters are nice enough to point out to you right away that they're not actually from around here. You know the ones -- the elves with long flowing blonde hair and names that imply some variation on legs and the non-presence of same are certainly a long-standing example. Of course, the people in question are rarely roleplaying, but that doesn't change the number of elven marksmen who are all the best in the world at hitting a target, never mind the "miss" result that pops up every so often when they nock their arrows. In fiction, they're called expys, short for exported characters. They're guest stars from elsewhere, and while most roleplayers have a name that's a bit more original than some variant on Legolas, they're no less common. After all, if you're inspired by a particularly good character and want to try playing him in a given environment, why wouldn't you just pick him up and transplant him? But there are good ways to do it and bad ways, just like there are far more ways to make dull and unlikable characters than interesting ones. So follow on past the break for a look at how to make your expy fall into the "interesting homage" camp rather than the "xx_Legolas_xx" camp.
Christopher Nolan considering Inception video game
There's a thought that's been lodged in our mind ever since we saw Christopher Nolan's psychological action-heist blockbuster, Inception: "Man, all these layers of unreality would make for a pretty great video game." Now, we're not sure if that idea came to us naturally, or if it was smooshed in there by a small crew of impossibly attractive heroes, but we don't seem to be the only ones who had it -- Nolan recently voiced his desire to turn the film's universe into a video game during a Rome press conference. "[What] we are looking at doing is developing a videogame based on the world of the film, which has all kinds of ideas that you can't fit into a feature film," Nolan explained. "That's something we've been talking about and are looking at doing long term, in a couple of years." That sounds promising, but we feel compelled to inform Mr. Nolan that Tim Schafer and Double Fine beat him to the punch, like, five years ago. Still, the film's impressive take at the box office ($753 million so far) might give an interactive follow-up a large, interested audience. Oh, and the fact that a game wouldn't be pressured into launching alongside a movie (this one would be years late!) would be the source of more ... optimism than usual.
Jovovich: Another Resident Evil movie is 'definitely' coming
Paul W.S. Anderson's latest installment in the Resident Evil film franchise, subtitled Afterlife (or in most technologically-endowed theaters, Afterlife 3D), took home top honors in last weekend's box office ranking. What does this mean? Well, it means we're angry at a lot of America for not going to see Machete -- but, according to lead actress Milla Jovovich, it also means we can expect to see yet another movie chronicling Alice's beef with the Umbrella Corporation. "This new Resident Evil is the first one to ever open at No. 1 worldwide," Jovovich recently told New York magazine. "It's the biggest movie in the franchise. So we're definitely going to make another one." She goes on to ask that fans of the series send suggestions for the next film to her Twitter page, which also contains much needed, step-by-step instructions on how to properly pronounce her name. Thanks, Milla!
Angry Birds dev working with Hollywood advisors for possible movie pitch
Movie adaptations of console games are no surprise. But when was the last time you heard of a movie based on an iPhone game? Angry Birds, a Boom Blox-esque 2D puzzle game, may be the first App Store title to find a Hollywood adaptation, according to a new report in Variety. At first, the idea may seem ludicrous, but developer Rovio sees opportunity to transform the title into an "evergreen" franchise. With over six million sales, the game has already generated more than $5 million in revenue for the Finnish developer. And with more than five million views of the game's animated trailer on YouTube, it's clear that there is certainly a demand for resentful winged vertebrates. Rovio has enlisted the help of various "Hollywood advisors," including Peter Levin and Russell Binder, with the hopes of an adaptation with the appearance of claymation (a la Aardman Animation). While a deal is being secured, Rovio's challenge is to bring the game to "every possible place," including consoles like the PS3, PSP and DS. With Hollywood deals taking years to complete, Rovio knows that it will be difficult "to make sure the brand is relevant when the movie comes out."
'Cube' director wants to make a video game adaptation
There are few cinematic guilty pleasures we hold closer to our hearts than the Cube franchise. Here's a breakdown of the films, in case you happened to overlook them: A group of strangers must find their way out of a multi-roomed, cube-shaped prison, which is filled with gruesome, deadly traps. If you think that sounds like an awesome plot for a video game, you're not alone -- the director of the original Cube, Vincenzo Natali, recently told MTV that he'd love to make a video game adaptation of the film. Natali told MTV that, while writing the film, he repeatedly asked, "are we writing a film or are we writing a game?" His desire to do the latter is apparently pretty strong, as he used the MTV interview to broadcast, "if there are any game designers out there, give me a call." Well, folks, you heard the man. Pick up a phone book, and let's get this thing done.
GDC hands-on: Deadliest Warrior (XBLA)
Okay, honesty time. Most of the preparation for my GDC appointment to check out Pipework Foundation's TV-to-game adaptation Deadliest Warrior was spent thinking up jokes about the game's cast of anachronistic characters. "So, what are we looking at," I would snidely remark, "Templars? Cavemen? Wizards? Robots? Robot Cavemen? Grizzly bears?" To which Pipework would politely laugh, as I would insist, "No, seriously. What's the grizzly bear situation?" I was prepared to be underwhelmed by the game, so I'd attempt to cajole an entire preview out of this line of questioning. Fortunately, this precaution wasn't necessary, as Deadliest Warrior looks to be a surprisingly competent, enjoyable fighting game, and a welcome addition to the Xbox Live Arcade lineup. Here's the takeaway: Think Bushido Blade; but instead of being stuck with controlling boring ol' samurai, there are ninjas, Spartans, Apache, knights and four other yet-to-be-announced warriors (Including, hopefully, wizards). %Gallery-88124%
Clash of the Titans screens highlight multi-headed beasts
Click image to fetch some more screens If you think our last batch of screens depicted some ugly creatures from Namco Bandai's upcoming Clash of the Titans, then we guess this latest round of shots are par for the course. Featuring several screens of the multi-headed nasty you see above, our gallery below is a veritable playground of potential nightmare inducers. This beast is like a smaller, more nimble version of Cerberus from Devil May Cry 3. Maybe a bit less chilly, too. Anyway, feel free to hit up the gallery below for the new screens. %Gallery-87927%
Warner Bros. in talks to produce Space Invaders movie
According to a recent report from the L.A. Times, Warner Bros. is in talks with Japanese game developer Taito to secure the rights for a film adaptation of Space Invaders. The Times speculates the film would be a big-budget action-blockbuster, helmed by prolific producers of big-budget action-blockbusters, such as Mark Gordon, Jason Blum and Guymon Casady. In other news, we're planning on doing our own version of Space Invaders pretty soon, only it will be about us, attempting to invade outer space, because we don't want to live on this stupid, terrible planet anymore. [Via IGN]
New Line Cinema options rights for film adaptation of Heavy Rain
What if Heavy Rain, which is so often heralded by creator David Cage as "interactive fiction," was just a bit less interactive? Is the game's story and cast of vaguely-French-sounding characters strong enough to carry a feature-length film? We might just find out, some day -- internet super-sleuth superannuation recently uncovered copyright documents which reveal that New Line Productions optioned the rights to turn Heavy Rain into a movie on May 15, 2006 -- just a few days after "The Casting" trailer (NSFW) was revealed at E3. This doesn't ensure the development of a Heavy Rain movie, of course; it only means if any film studio makes the film, it's going to be New Line Cinema. We think the rights are in good hands -- New Line did some great work on the film adaptations of those Lord of the Rings games.
Rayman 2: The Great Escape coming to iPhone March 1
Prolific mobile publisher Gameloft has revealed its next project: An iPhone/iPod Touch port of Ubisoft's N64 platformer, Rayman 2: The Great Escape. Let's get our obligatory naysaying out of the way, so it won't sour the rest of the post: "But, it doesn't have buttons! How are we supposed to make well-timed jumps while avoiding sharp, pointy obstacles without buttons?" We can't answer that for you, dear reader. You have to answer that for yourself. The good news is that the game looks surprisingly faithful to its original iteration. You can watch a trailer for the title, which is due out March 1 on the App Store, after the jump.
Extremely ugly Clash of the Titans screenshots released
Click to Titan-size Whoa, now. When we say "ugly," we're not talking about the visual fidelity of the aforementioned Clash of the Titans screenshots. Rather, we're talking about the subjects they depict -- horrible, nether-spawned creatures, covered in uninviting tusks, pincers and fangs. Where are all the beautiful, half-clothed goddesses? The scenic Grecian environments? The looming, meticulously built temples? We're not sure -- but we do know they're not in the gallery below. %Gallery-80610%
Not getting up: Ecko's Macbeth game dispatched
Seeing as how the whole "Macbeth with gunz" thing has already been done (see: movie starring Aussie heartthrob Sam Worthington, above), we're ever so curious to learn more about Marc Ecko's canned game concept for a "completely re-imagined Macbeth." Unfortunately, the famed clothing designer -- turned failed game designer -- has his lips sealed. "I don't want to give it away," Ecko told Destructoid, after admitting that the rumored project was at least, in some form, quite real. Sadly, we're left to contemplate what could have been from a single, proposed gameplay mechanic: "cutting people's heads off." Surely, Shakespeare's inclusion of only one, climactic beheading -- and "off stage" at that -- in the accepted original Macbeth was merely a limitation of the special effects of the playwright's day. Just imagine how much more epic Renaissance works could be as video games ... Oh, right.
Avatar mutliplayer trailer pits giant blue things against humans
It could happen this week, it could happen next week, but sometime in the month of December, Ubisoft will decide to liberate Avatar from the shackles of game development. And when that happens, we're prepared to go directly online and start popping 10-foot blue things with our big human weapons. This is about survival, ya dig? It appears that in addition to simply plugging bullets into the creatures, Ubisoft will also be allowing for some form of capture the flag (wait, isn't this about survival?). Other than that one crucial detail, the only info we gleaned from the multiplayer trailer above is that there'll be a ton of explosions, even more mid-air flip-kicks, and explosion/flip-kick-laden jungle combat when the game does finally come out. For now, unfortunately, you'll have to sate yourselves with something totally boring like Modern Warfare 2. Humans against humans? Pssshhht, that's so mid-November. %Gallery-70590%
