electronic arts Tagged Articles at Cinematical

Too much merchandising can saturate the classiness of a film, but I still think any actor who has played an iconic character should stick with that role through and through. Decades ago I was down for any movie star reprising a role for an animated spin-off (Mary Steenburgen, you're constantly giving me reasons to love you), and today I support anybody who follows his or her character to the world of video games. So, regardless of whether or not Francis Ford Coppola approves, kudos to Robert Duvall for being involved with Electronic Arts' upcoming game version of The Godfather II.

While other actors from the Godfather sequel have at least allowed their likenesses to be represented, just as they had with The Godfather: The Game before, Duvall's role in the game is more significant. Variety reports that his character, Tom Hagen, features prominently as an adviser to the player, and Duvall is recording new voiceover dialogue for this purpose. As with the first game, Al Pacino has chosen to not be involved (he's obviously holding out for that Scent of a Woman game to mark his video game voice work debut).

We're always hearing about the collision of video games and the movies: how video games have become more cinematic and how movies have become more like video games. And it seems like someone is always trying to figure out how to adapt a video game into a movie; Jessica Barnes just told us about a script review for Paul W.S. Anderson's Castlevania, for example. We hear less often about filmmakers making the leap, unless it's an adaptation of a big budget tentpole.

All that to preface the news that Saw director James Wan has made a trailer for the upcoming science fiction / horror game Dead Space, due out on multiple platforms in late October. Dread Central has the evocative trailer for the game about alien hostiles, dead passengers, and a desperate fight to survive. Evidently Wan didn't shoot any original footage for the trailer; he simply cut together an intriguing series of scenes that make it plain what the game is about.

Dead Space will come out just in time to compete with Saw V, which carries Wan's name as executive producer, and continues his string of death-related titles (Dead Silence, which was fair to middling, and Death Sentence, a very solid, pulpy vigilante flick with Kevin Bacon that was unfairly ignored). Wan and Leigh Whannell have also been linked to Brash Entertainment's development of a video game based on Saw.

Producer Scott Faye is keeping the faith -- but fans of the Electronic Arts video game American McGee's Alice will have to wait an indeterminate amount of time to see a movie version. According to McGee's own blog (and thanks to Shock for the tip), Mr. Faye has announced that Universal has placed the project into turnaround -- which essentially means it's comatose until another backer snags the property. (IF another backer snags the property.)

Here's what the producer had to say: "Jon and Erich Hoeber have written a very compelling feature film screenplay adaptation of the Alice game. Their screenplay will certainly serve as a jumping off point as we find a new studio home for the project. In terms of the realistic chances of seeing the Alice project being produced, all I can say is that I have invested (along with Julie Yorn and Karen Lauder, my producing partners on the project) a lot of time and effort in this project. We will get it made." Just not at Universal, unfortunately. Earlier reports indicated that actress Sarah Michelle Gellar and director Marcus Nispel were attached to the project, but as Inspector Clouseau used to say "Notennymore."

For those who are unfamiliar with American McGee's Alice (I really should play this game already), it's sort of a dark semi-sequel to Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (or Alice in Wonderland, if you prefer). Filmmakers previously (and temporarily?) attached to the project include director Wes Craven, screenwriter John August, and actress Jean Marsh. (Thanks to Wiki for the reminders.) So to those who've played (and hopefully enjoyed) this video game, here's my question: Who should direct the thing?

How do you know when an as-yet-unreleased video game is rrrreally good? When a production company gets started on the movie version -- six months before the game hits the shelves! (OK, that's not even remotely true, but it sounded like a good intro.) But I can tell you one truly promising piece of news regarding the upcoming Electronic Arts game Dead Space: It's science fiction AND horror! Yeah, just like Galaxy of Terror!

Anyway, the game isn't due to hit stores until after summer, but that hasn't stopped Starz (and its Film Roman animation division) from snatching the property up and organzing all sorts of nifty little "tie-ins." For example, first will come a graphic novel from Image Comics. Then the Starz movie. And then the game. The assumption is that if you digest this media in the proper order, it will amplify your Dead Space experience tenfold. Or something. All I know it's it's full of monsters and it takes place on a deserted spaceship. Somebody sign me up.

For more on the (mostly likely Anchor Bay DVD) movie, check out the news at Variety. For more on the game, check out the official Dead Space website. For a peek at an early teaser trailer, just look below!