Ahh, video game movies. It's funny to think about, but video game movies are right now where comic book movies used to be twenty or thirty years ago. It may be hard to fathom now, but there was a time when comic book films were the Hollywood dregs, back when the technology simply wasn't there to make for a quality adaptation. That all changed with the Blade films, of course, but the video game world is still looking for their Jackie Robinson to break through. It's kind of ironic, since in just about every way that matters, video games are the size and cost of the biggest Hollywood productions.
We could be on the verge of a sea change, however, as two big names are coming aboard for a couple of promising video game films. Deadline reports that the red hot Josh Trank, still riding high after Chronicle proved to be a monster hit, is set to direct Shadow of the Colossus. We first learned of Sony's plans to adapt their hit 2005 adventure game back in 2009, but it's been totally quiet since then. The story follows a warrior named Wander who must defeat 16 massive creatures in order to restore a girl's life. Justin Marks had been tapped to pen the script, but it appears nobody is aboard anymore.
Next up is Need for Speed, the Electronic Arts racing sim which Dreamworks recently announced plans to bring to the silver screen. Scott Waugh, who just scored a surprising hit with Act of Valor, is in talks to direct, based on a story by George and John Gatins(Real Steel). The most successful racing video game ever, there have been sixteen games released up to this point. The hope is to turn this into a Fast and Furious sized franchise. [Variety]
