Universal Secures Rights for Film Adaptations of 10 Atari Games
Universal Pictures has partnered with Atari to adapt ten classic video games into movies, including Asteroids, Pong, and Breakout. A spec script has been purchased, though the specific title and potential shared universe remain undisclosed.
Universal Pictures has struck a deal with Atari to secure the film adaptation rights to ten of the company's classic games, according to Deadline. The agreement includes titles such as Asteroids, Adventure, Berzerk, Breakout, Centipede, Crystal Castles, Millipede, Missile Command, Pong, and Yars' Revenge. Universal has already acquired a screenplay centered on one of the Atari properties, but it did not specify which game the script is based on or whether the proposed movie would be part of an Atari Cinematic Universe combining multiple titles. The spec script was written by Matt Reilly and Carl Hampe, and will be produced by Guymon Casady at Entertainment 360.
"The best Atari games dropped you into a world and let your imagination do the rest," Casady said. "Carl and Matt saw an opportunity to take that same spirit and build an original, large-scale adventure around it. From the moment we read the screenplay, we believed there was a great movie here." Atari Chairman and CEO Wade Rosen added: "For more than five decades, Atari has created games and worlds that have remained part of popular culture long after their original release. We are excited to work with Universal and Entertainment 360 to bring the spirit of our iconic brand and games to a new medium." It is worth noting that Universal previously picked up rights for an Asteroids adaptation back in 2009, but no film materialized.
