Activision Eyes ‘Call of Duty’ For Big Screen Action
Posted by Robin Ruinsky (robin@filmschoolrejects.com) on May 11, 2009
Video games Call to Duty and World of Warcraft are lining up to be turned into films. Activision, the creator of the games is looking into adapting the two popular games into motion pictures. If they really want a new angle they should put game controls at each seat and let the audience battle each other on the big screen. Okay, not a feasible scenario, yet.
Of course turning video games into movies is nothing new. Some of the better known adaptations have been Tomb Raider, Mortal Kombat, Silent Hill, to name a few. Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell series was a natural cross over for the author of so many world on the brink of destruction novels.
Perhaps it’s time to recognize that video games could be a new art form. With graphics getting more sophisticated, storylines more complex and characters more “alive” the world of the video game is riper for the picking than ever.
Legendary Pictures, the co-producer of The Dark Knight and 300 picked up the film rights to World of Warcraft three years ago. Though nothing’s been done with it yet, I think it’s a safe bet that the popular multiplayer game will find its way to a multiplex near you.
Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick told THR.com that video games are “capturing leisure time away from TV and film. Not that readers of The Hollywood Reporter want to hear that.”
They might want to hear it if adaptations of popular games bring the gamers into movie theaters.
What video game do you think would make a good movie?
Read more articles by Robin Ruinsky
