Sega has confirmed it's bringing its Space Channel 5 and Comix Zone games to the big screen.
Adding to Sega's successful line of game-to-movie crossovers, dance game Space Channel 5 will be rebranded Channel 5 and will, according to the Hollywood Reporter, "tell the story of a hapless fast-food worker who is recruited by a freedom reporter from the future to save the world from aliens using the one thing that unites all people on the planet: our love of silly viral dances".
The films will reportedly be penned by Barry Battles and Nir Paniry, who wrote The Baytown Outlaws and Extracted respectively.
As for Comix Zone? That's also getting a new name - Zone - and will be written by Mae Catt, whose credits include Young Justice and Dragons: The Nine Realm.
Space divas, comic panels, and the movies! SEGA is partnering with @picturestart to produce film adaptions of Space Channel 5 and Comix Zone! Which parts of these SEGA gems are you most excited to see played out on the big screen? 🎥#SEGA #SpaceChannel5 #ComixZone pic.twitter.com/WcdfnWJe5yAugust 19, 2022
Zone will follow "a jaded comic book creator and a young, queer writer of color who, when sucked into the final issue of his popular series, must put aside their differences to stop a dangerous supervillain from sowing complete destruction. In the process, they wittily explore the ever-evolving art of storytelling itself".
Sega video game director Takumi Yoshinaga, will direct Channel 5 while Sega video game producer Kagasei Shimomura joins the Zone team. Both movies will sport the same production company, Picturestart, led by Royce Reeves-Darby and Erik Feig, along with Samie Kim Falvey who is also involved in the upcoming Borderlands movie, too.
The projects will be produced by Sega's Tory Nakahara, who also produced the Sonic the Hedgehog movie series.
These aren't even the strangest movie adaptations we've heard about this month, of course. A live-action movie based on Pac-Man - still one of the most universally beloved and recognized video game characters in the world - is on the way.
Pac-Man creators Bandai Namco Entertainment are behind the new adaptation, based on an original concept developed by live-action Sonic the Hedgehog producer Chuck Williams.
Last week we reported that the director bringing Ghost of Tsushima to the big screen says the movie will be "a complete Japanese cast, in Japanese".
Chad Stahelski also confirmed that Sony is "on board" with his plan to create an authentic Japanese experience that will be "visually stunning" and celebrate his "love of the country, love of the people, love of the language".
For more, check out our list of all the upcoming video game movies in 2022 and beyond.
