"Fear Effect" Film Overhaul & Word Of A New Game Sequel?
According
to The
Hollywood Reporter, Mindfire Entertainment has announced its plans
to turn the popular Eidos video game "Fear
Effect" into a feature film, with director Stanley Tong
("Supercop,"
"Rumble
in the Bronx") in talks to helm the action picture.
The movie rights to "Fear Effect" were previously optioned in January 2004 by Boll KG 4 for a movie to be produced and directed by Uwe Boll ("House of the Dead," "BloodRayne").
Mindfire CEO Mark A. Altman ("House of the Dead 2," "DOA: Dead or Alive") is set to produce based on a screenplay by Steve Kriozere, who also wrote the script for the upcoming "Dead & Deader" with Altman and was a writer for the TV series "Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi".
Altman described the movie as "Mission:
Impossible" meets "Silent Hill," adding that the film will follow the
story line of the original PlayStation game, except it will be set 10
years in the future rather than in the alternate world. The story
revolves around a team of mercenaries that are hired to track
down the daughter of a billionaire industrialist in a globe-trotting
story line that takes a supernatural turn when demons get involved.
The film's budget is in the $20 million-$25 million range - seemingly low for something that is supposed to be "M:I" meets "Silent Hill." Production is scheduled to start this year with a late 2007 or early '08 release date. The movie will film in several Asia locations, where Tong is well-known (he's done a lot of Jackie Chan films).
So what does this mean for the Boll "Fear Effect" project? It's
unclear. It sounds like it's out of his hands now, though. Is it me, or is
there some synchronicity in the fact that the "House of the Dead"
helmer
is off the project while the folks who did "House of the Dead 2" are
picking it up?
Also of note to "Fear Effect" game fans, the Reporter mentioned that Eidos is
developing a third "Fear Effect" game for next-generation consoles.
This is big news because previous plans for a third game ("Fear Effect:
Inferno") was canceled in 2003. No specific platforms for the new game
were mentioned. The folks at Gamespot,
contacted Eidos for clarification but there's been no word yet.
Eidos introduced "Fear Effect" to gamers in 2000 and followed up with
the prequel "Fear Effect 2: Retro Helix" in 2001.
If Eidos is planning a new installment to the game series, it would make good marketing sense to release it with the film adaptation. I guess until the company makes an announcement, fans will have to hold their breath. -- Shannon Nolley
