Not so long ago, reports had surfaced that the cogs were finally in motion again for the long-gestating Spy Hunter movie and today we have even more news confirming such a revelation. Vulture is reporting today that Zombieland and Gangster Squad director Ruben Fleischer has been given the gig for the big screen adaptation. While there are no details to be had at the moment, it is considered to be the closest any such offering has come to reality since Resident Evil’s Paul W.S. Anderson climbed aboard years ago.
Perhaps the question most will be asking is, “why now is a game popularized in the 1980′s finally making its way to theaters?” The answer is simple. About a decade ago, the industry was hit with a wave of superhero movies that proved extremely bankable. Before that, the only real success story with the genre was Batman and the first two Superman movies, so that was really unfettered territory being tapped for the first time.
Now, several people in the industry believe we are in an identical moment for the video games niche and that is why these properties are finally getting a big screen alter ego. It is not just Spy Hunter receiving special treatment here. Projects currently in development right now at one stage or another are Assassin’s Creed, World of Warcraft, Need for Speed, Mass Effect, and Uncharted among others. Of the few mentioned, only Need for Speed has a release date and it is entirely possible the rest could quietly go away over time; however, it is worth at least acknowledging that Creed has Michael Fassbender attached to lead that project and Legendary seems dead set on finally tapping into Warcraft’s massive global recognition.
On the topic of today’s news, Ruben Fleischer is a strong talent in the industry who could produce a more than capable film based on the Spy Hunter series. Before Gangster Squad was delayed to January 11, his latest movie was presumed to be a legitimate Oscar contender due in part to its stellar cast.
Related: ‘Gangster Squad’ Reshoots Push Release Date to January 2013