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Hollywood just cannot stop itself from adapting games into movies. This is fact. No matter how many clunkers it throws out, no matter how many critical kickings it takes, it's always there with the chequebook, ready to pick up a few more licenses for the grinder.
But they're not all bad. Well okay, they're getting better. And they'll have to. Because there are currently at least 25 movies based on games in various stages of production. Some are guaranteed certs, some might never see the light of day, and some of them are based on games you might never even have heard of. And we've collected them all together in one place so that we can take you through their current statuses, prospects, and the relative chances of being awesome or terrible when and if they do appear.
Brace yourselves, we're going in...
Area 51
In development heaven or development hell?
Paramount bought the film rights to Midway's ill-fated FPS in 2004, a year before the game was even released. Since then comics legend Grant Morrison has written a script, but the production has been quiet since 2009. Part of the reason for this may be that Oren Peli, director of Paranormal Activity, is making a PA-style sci-fi film of the same title, also at Universal.
Prognosis for a happy ending?
We'd expect flavour-of-the-month Peli's film to take priority (not least because it will be cheaper to make), so don't be surprised if Area 51 gets shunted, dropped altogether, or goes ahead with a different title.
Asteroids
In development heaven or development hell?
Universal also picked up the rights to Atari's 1979 shooter last year, to a great outpouring of confusion and contempt. Though surprisingly, things sound fairly promising. Producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura recently said that instead of a film about humanity fighting off an asteroid strike (as everyone expected), Asteroids would be a very loose adaptation set entirely within the asteroid field and having a Star Wars-scale mythology.
Prognosis for a happy ending?
If it's just a good epic sci-fi film with the Asteroids name tagged on, we're in. Though that'll depend on whether di Bonaventura gets the money and the talent together to make one happen.
Broken Sword
In development heaven or development hell?
An adaptation of Charles Cecil's fantastic adventure game series has been on the cards since 2007. As of 2009, Cecil is in talks with Radar Pictures (The Box, The Invention of Lying, The Chronicles of Riddick), with the plan of writing the script himself.
Prognosis for a happy ending?
The material is certainly there, and Broken Sword is one game license that wouldn't need any association with the game in order to be a box office success. The Da Vinci Code has made a splash by covered similar material far less well, but Cecil is aware of the need to acknowledge that with the Broken Sword script.
BioShock
In development heaven or development hell?
It's still all go for BioShock, despite a few hiccups. Pirates of the Caribbean director Gore Verbinski was set to head this one up, but has since stepped down to Producer to make way for Juan Carlo Fresnadillo (28 Weeks Later). John Logan (Gladiator) is writing the script. Pre-production officially started in January 2010, but has slowed a little as of July so that budget issues can be worked out.
Prognosis for a happy ending?
If it continues to go ahead with this current line-up of talent, then actually really good. A BioShock adaptation will be either stunning or terrible. There can be no inbetween. But with Verbinski really seeming to 'get' it and proclaiming nothing less than a hard 'R' in terms of rating, so far it seems safe.
Castlevania
In development heaven or development hell?
Paul W.S. "How do I keep getting work?" Anderson was working on this one for a long time, but passed the directorial duties over to Silvain White (Stomp the Yard) in 2007. Later that year the writers' strike halted the production, and in May 2009 Castlevania was announced as cancelled. However, in July 2009 it turned out that Saw co-creator James Wan had signed up to write and direct a new version.
Prognosis for a happy ending?
Much better now that Wan has taken charge (don't forget that the first Saw was a really tight little horror film). In fact we'd go as far as to say we're excited. There are dirty rumours that Anderson is still circling the project though. He must not be allowed near it again. Or any other film.
Clock Tower
In development heaven or development hell?
In 2008, G4 announced that The Weinstein Company was working on an adaptation of Capcom's other survival horror series. And things seemed to move forward with a mighty aplomb. It even got some casting details (Brittany Snow) and a set of '80s-tastic posters (check out their explotariffic delights right here). Since then however, it's all gone quiet. The film still hasn't gone into full production and Snow has left the project.
Prognosis for a happy ending?
Could go either way right now. But Clock Tower is a property obscure enough to be promoted as a standalone film, so there's no pressing need to get it out of the door immediately. If it happens though, and if the old-school brutality hinted in the posters makes it through, it could be pretty brilliant.
Dead Space
In development heaven or development hell?
A prequel movie (a full-sized live-action one this time, in contrast to the animated Dead Space: Downfall) has just been announced as of August 2010, with D.J. Caruso (Disturbia) attached to direct. There's no script yet, but as soon as EA has a writer it's happy with, it will auction off the project to Hollywood studios.
Prognosis for a happy ending?
Very high. EA takes this kind of licensing seriously these days, and Dead Space's mix of Alien, Cronenberg and Carpenter could make a killer cinematic eyeball-party. Give it a year or so, and we reckon we'll hear a lot more about this one.
Driver
In development heaven or development hell?
Paul W.S. "Oh God it's him again" Anderson picked up the rights to Driver in 2003 with the intention of putting out the film in time for the release of the Driv3r game. Several years and some bought and sold rights later, and the film is on the go at Rogue Pictures (Shaun of the Dead, Balls of Fury) with Roger Avery (Pulp Fiction, Silent Hill) set up to write and direct. Originally set to shoot in 2007, this new version of the film is currently on hold following the closure of the studio lot it was using. In 2009, a version of the script turned up online.
Prognosis for a happy ending?
It could well still happen. Things have been quiet for a little while, but the prospect of a new Driver game, Driver: San Francisco, on the way, don't be surprised if production on this one goes into very quick turnaround over the next 18 months.
Next: Gears of War to Metal Gear Solid
