A movie adaptation of EA's popular racing game Need for Speed is underway with DreamWorks Studios acquiring the feature film rights.
While the screenplay is based on the Need for Speed series, it is not based on an individual game. Doesn't this just make it another typical racing movie with the Need for Speed title? Let's see where have I seen this movie already done? Oh yea, with Fast and Furious. But while Dom lived his life a "quarter mile at a time", it looks like DreamWorks and EA is living in the distant future.
In fact, the Need for Speed film has a target production start date for early next year, for a 2014 release.
"The film adaptation will be a fast-paced, high-octane film rooted in the tradition of the great car culture films of the 70s while being extremely faithful to the spirit of the video game franchise," the press release described. "In Need for Speed, the cars are hot, the racing is intense and the story keeps players at the edge of their seat."
Brothers George and John Gatins developed the original story with George writing the feature’s screenplay. EA will produce the film along with John Gatins and Mark Sourian. Scott Waugh (Act of Valor) is set to direct the film.
“I'm excited about getting back into the creative trenches with John and George Gatins and my partners at EA to bring to life an exhilarating script based on an epic video game that seems to have been made for the movies,” said Steven Spielberg, DreamWorks Chairman. “This is a big piece of business for DreamWorks and we are grateful to Frank Gibeau, Pat O'Brien, Kevin Maher and John and George for choosing us to deliver their goods.”
Stacey Snider, CEO and Co-Chair of DreamWorks at this to say: “George, John and EA brought a very compelling story to us which we believe is going to make a fun, cool movie franchise. With such a large following around the globe, we're excited to make a film that does justice to the popular underlying video game series.”
Meanwhile, EA Labels President Frank Gibeau said this: "We are thrilled to be in business with our friends Steven Spielberg, Stacey Snider and the entire DreamWorks team. They are the perfect partner to take Need for Speed to the big screen by creating the exciting action film that we have always envisioned.”
Well, I suppose they can't say that this will be another typical racing movie that will likely perform well in the box office because, for some reason, people love sh**ty racing movies. I just hope they don't ruin EA's best-selling franchise. If you are going to make a movie based on a video game, at least try not to trash it. We don't want another Resident Evil on our hands.
