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Atari Makes Universal Movie Deal For 10 Iconic Game Properties; First Up Is Original Script By Matt Reilly & Carl Hampe, With Entertainment 360 Producing
Atari has agreed a deal with Universal Pictures allowing the studio to develop films based on 10 of its classic video-game properties. The first project will be an original large-scale action-adventure screenplay by Matt Reilly and Carl Hampe, marking another attempt to adapt established gaming brands for cinema.
The properties covered are Asteroids, Adventure, Berzerk, Breakout, Centipede, Crystal Castles, Millipede, Missile Command, Pong and Yars’ Revenge. Entertainment 360’s Guymon Casady will produce alongside Reilly and Hampe; Atari said the games’ enduring cultural presence made them suitable for a new medium, while Universal did not comment.
In short
- Universal can develop films based on 10 classic Atari games.
- An original action-adventure script is the first project.
- Entertainment 360 will produce with the writers.
Explained simply
Atari is a video game company that produced some of the earliest arcade and home console games, starting in the 1970s. Games such as Pong and Asteroids became worldwide phenomena and helped establish the modern video game industry.
Major film studios have increasingly sought to adapt video game properties into feature films and television programmes. Established game franchises appeal to studios because they come with built-in audiences and recognisable intellectual property viewed as valuable for theatrical release.
Atari's game portfolio spans several decades and includes titles that have remained culturally significant and widely recognised. The enduring popularity and broad appeal of games such as Breakout and Centipede make them potential candidates for film adaptation.
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