That old coin op video game, ‘Missile Command’, is coming to drop a few ICBMs down on the big screens. Looks like last year’s news of Atari giving studios the old game library to turn into feature films has made good on the threat to filmgoers everywhere. Our good pals at Screenrant gives us the heads up:
Atari has announced it will partner up with Fox and Chernin Entertainment to adapt Missile Command for the big screen with scribes Burk Sharpless and Matt Sazama set to write the script. Joining the fun as producers will be Peter Chernin and Dylan Clark.
Best of luck to Sharpless and Sazama. Good wishes to whatever director winds up signing the contract. (I’m sure it won’t be James Cameron) Because if this really moves forward this project already has two nuclear strikes against it.
1. Most video game to feature films stink to high heaven. It’s possible one might break the mold someday, and be well remembered -with fondness, love and awe on repeated viewings…but the track record speaks volumes. I also don’t blame folks for trying to conquer the mountain, so to speak.
2 Missile Command’s basic premise is very limiting. It could sound cool at first, but even THE GAME was boring after awhile.
The only way to make it work is to take it outside of the “missile command” and have a race against time for some team to do a op mission to stop whoever is threatening to give the West Coast a very bad suntan. Thus not having a real need for what *is* popular about the game (which always escaped me) and simply cashing in on a name.
There are other “classic” games which could make better possible films. The pitch must have been a whopper. Executives brains were on stand by.
“Boom. The End Of The World As You Know It!!”
“I feel fine!”
Maybe it’s just me. Like I said, someone has to rise to the challenge.
What do you think?
