Atari Bringing Arcade Game Missile Command to the Big Screen« FirstShowing.net

Following the upcomingBattleshipandAsteroidsadaptations,Atarihas hired writersBurk SharplessandMatt Sazamato adapt the classic 80s arcade gameMissile Commandinto a feature film. ProducerPeter Chernin(Rise of the Apes) is developing the project at his own production company, with Atari exec producing. Sharpless& Sazama recently wrote theFlash Gordonreboot and worked onDracula Year Zero.Missile Command, which hit in 1980, is one of the simplest games involving firing counter-missiles from the ground to destroy incoming missile attacks from the air. How that will be made into a movie, I have no idea?

There couldn't be a more perfect time to reference a recentJames Cameronquote that's spreading around the web. ViaScreen Rant:"We have a story crisis they want to make theBattleshipgame into a film. This is puredesperation."Exactly!And yet here we are, reporting even more depressing news that a classic 8-bit game that involves defending our country by shooting missiles with a trackball is the latest basis behind a big budget action movie that's now in the works. This better be likeRed Dawnor else I don't know what the heck to expect. I don't even know if they'll set it in the Cold War or update it to be contemporary, but either way this definitely seems like a desperate attempt to capitalize on a brand that, well, hasn't been around for the last 20 years.Does anyone think aMissile Commandmovie might actually turn out okay?

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