Before Nintendo became the most recognizable name in video games, there was Atari. For a few years, video game movies have overtaken comic books as Hollywood’s chosen IP, and there are more in the pipeline than ever before. Atari is finally getting in on the action, inking a deal with Universal to develop ten iconic console games into feature films.
The first movie will be written by Matt Reilly and Carl Hampe, but we don’t know which title that will be. Hampe was a producer on Neil Marshall’s terrible Hellboy adaptation in 2019, and Reilly was a longtime exec at Universal.
The ten games that Atari and Universal will team up to adapt are Asteroids, Adventure, Berzerk, Breakout, Centipede, Crystal Castles, Millipede, Missile Command, Pong and Yars’ Revenge. As someone who played all of these relentlessly as a kid, I can attest to how addictive they were. Will they make good movies, though? I’m curious to see what the Hell they’re going to do with Pong. Of these, Berzerk was my favorite and it’s crazy hard when you get to the upper levels. I’m surprised that Defender isn’t on the list. Chopper Command would’ve been a no-brainer pick, in my opinion.
The first movie won’t enter production until next year, with a likely release in 2028. Hey, it’s only fair that Atari strikes while the iron is hot. The only question I have is whether these games have the name value to succeed with anyone under the age of 45. We shall see. [Deadline]
