That last week has been quite exciting for those hoping to see contemporary video games on the big screen. We just learned Michael Fassbender will star in and produce Assassin’s Creed, but news has also broke about two other highly touted titles. CBS Films has acquired the film rights to Square Enix’s Deus Ex, while Universal has found a new writing team for its adaptation of Sony Computer Entertainment's God of War.
Multiple outets reported CBS Films' acquisition of Deus Ex, though it took about a year for everything to fall into place. After a rough start as a new distributor, CBS has found success recently in specialty flick Salmon Fishing in the Yemen and the Daniel Radcliffe-led horror film The Woman in Black. Deus Ex, however, would be more along the lines of a potential blockbuster franchise. With that in mind, the film will be based on the 2011 prequel Deus Ex: Human Revolution instead of the 2000 game or its 2003 sequel Deus Ex: Invisible War.
The “Deus Ex” franchise has been met with high acclaim, including more than a hundred awards in the video game industry. Adrian Askarieh (Hitman) and Roy Lee (The Departed, Abduction) will produce, while John P. Middleton (next year’s 7500) will take up executive producing duties. Some details on the story of “Revolution” below:
“Adam Jensen, an ex-SWAT security specialist who must embrace ‘mechanical augments’ in order to unravel a global conspiracy. The game is set in a near future where dramatic advances in science, specifically human augmentation, have triggered a technological renaissance.”
The Hollywood Reporter brings us the big new for God of War fans: Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton, who wrote for the "Saw" franchise and also scripted Piranha 3DD, will rewrite the initial draft of executive producer David Self.
God of War follows the Spartan Kratos as he seeks Pandora’s Box and revenge on the god of war, Ares, fighting various mythological creatures along the way. The game has spawned four sequels and a prequel already, with another prequel slated to arrive in stores next year.
The duo recently did work on Guillermo del Toro's Pacific Rim, so this will of a sort be their second action-oriented script. Alex Gartner (Get Smart, Season of the Witch) and Charles Roven (Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy) will produce.