the sims Tagged Articles at Cinematical

OK, I highly doubt that anyone has ever sat down to read Dante's Divine Comedy and thought, "Hey! This would make a great video game!" -- But I guess there have been worse places to get an idea. Variety reports that Universal has snapped up the film rights to an upcoming console game with the working title of Dante's Inferno.

Universal was the lucky winner after a bidding war erupted between major studios (including Warner Brothers, MGM, and Paramount) for the netherworld adventure. The project went to Universal for the low, low price of a seven-figure deal, and this is the first title Electronic Arts has sold this year that was not based on an popular existing game. This brings EA's total to three film deals this year, with the possibility of a Sims feature (which some of us might have tried to block out), and then the announcement of an Army of Two feature film with Bourne scribe, Scott Z. Burns.

Since it's still early days for Inferno, not much is known about the game other than it will take players on a journey through hell. The games creator's will be taking a hands-on approach to the adaptation, and according to Variety , "Making a movie deal well before the game's release will give EA a shot at seeing a movie released closer to the beginning of the game's life cycle." I don't know about that, but I do know that it can't be any worse than most movie tie-in games.

That's it, I officially give up. Why does it seem like nobody really likes video game flicks, but Hollywood is determined to keep on making them? Well, I guess it's just another day in the movie business, and another game property has been snatched up for the big screen. Gaming giant Electronic Arts have just announced that Universal has purchased the film rights to their latest shooter hit, Army of Two.

The third person shooter centers on two mercenaries who, after earning their stripes, become embroiled in your run-of-the-mill global conspiracy. The game was a huge hit upon release back in March, and gamers loved that the story relied on the cooperation of our two heroes (good news if you normally get left behind and trapped in a corner while your partner sweeps out bad guys) and customizable weapons for maximum carnage.

Bourne Ultimatum scribe Scott Z. Burns has already been hired to adapt the game for Scott Stuber, and EA will also co-produce. EA has been pretty eager to get into the film game lately (and you can't blame them now that Hollywood has come knocking into the gaming business for themselves) and Army is their second feature project that the company has set in motion this year. Army definitely seems like the obvious choice for an easy transition to the big screen since it comes with a ready made story of political intrigue (first up for EA will be a film version of The Sims for Fox and producer John Davis). But let's not forget what is really important: Army of Two might just be Universal's shot at a brand new franchise.

Army of Two is expected to begin production in 2009. So who plays this game? Will it make a good film?

It looks like another quiet week in the land of the geek -- particularly since all my friends are off at Fantastic Fest. If you're one of the lucky people attending, eat a Wild at Artichoke Hearts pizza for me at the Alamo Drafthouse. I lie awake at night thinking about it, and wishing for the skill to replicate it.

• The biggest news of the weekend was a story that hit Variety late Friday night: Stephen Chow has landed the role of Kato in The Green Hornet and the director's chair. Rumors and Seth Rogen's wishes have attached him for some time, but now it's official, and definitely shows that the project is going to be heavy on the comedy. (Incidentally, I never realized before now what huge Green Hornet fans my geek parents were -- let's just say Rogen's ears must be burning.) The movie is scheduled to be released June 25th, 2010.
  

• Tintin has run into some major financial problems. According to the LA Times, Universal has passed on the film, leaving Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson to scramble for a new studio to financially back them. It's as embarrassing as you can imagine -- not only because its two of the biggest names in the business, but because Spielberg may have to make nice with Paramount (who's financing half the film) just as he and David Geffen are trying to extricate themselves from it. It also leaves Spielberg without a project to direct, as Tintin was supposed to be next in line, and it delays the whole thing even longer. But hey, at least struggling directors the world over can now do something they never thought possible -- feel just like Spielberg!