Still on the lookout for a horror franchise to replace the resting Saw, Lionsgate have picked up the rights to the recent zombie videogame hit Dead Island.
Released just this month, Dead Island sees a group of mysteriously-immune survivors holed up in a holiday resort as an undead plague ravages the outside world. Cue much in the way of gorily inventive survival horror, and stressful scrappy combat with extemporised melee weapons.
It's been generally well-received (apart from by Edge, who utterly demolished it) but Lionsgate's press-release is very much focused on the trailer that heralded the game's arrival back in February, and won various industry awards, including a Golden Lion at Cannes. That clip will serve as the film's "primary creative inspiration" according to the blurb, which also promises that "Dead Island will be an innovation of the zombie genre because of its focus on human emotion, family ties and non-linear storytelling."
Lionsgate president Joe Drake calls it "a true elevation of a genre we know and love". The film is currently in the very early stages of development, with Sean Daniel (The Mummy), and FX man Stefan Sonnenfeld (Sucker Punch, Fright Night) producing.
Oh, and if you didn't get a chance to see the astonishly amazing trailer for the game which hit the Internet a while back, hit play below and enjoy!
Posted by badsanta at 07:17 on 29 September 2011 | Report This Post
There always could be a good zombie movie in this if they keep it at a low budget and concentrate on the script rather than action.
The trouble is, if they get people who did Suckerpunch and The Mummy involved, they will just pour loads of CGI and crappy dialogue into it that will just make it another run of the mill horror film and another crappy video game film adaptation. I hope I'm proved wrong :( More
Posted by eddybaby83 at 16:26 on 28 September 2011 | Report This Post
Good...
It's been a while since we had a movie with zombies in it, and computer games transfer so well into movies.
No, wait, the other thing. It's going to be dreadful. More
Posted by Dumdeedum at 16:11 on 28 September 2011 | Report This Post
Hmm
Dead Island? Sounds eerily reminiscent of the Norway massacre. More
Posted by BenTramer at 13:51 on 28 September 2011 | Report This Post
That Trailer...
If they manage the emotional gut punch that is the trailer then it could be an incredible film. It was a fantastic three minutes and if the film can expand upon that emotional effect then yes, I'd actually watch it, even if it is associated with The Mummy... More
Posted by kisswithatear at 13:14 on 28 September 2011 | Report This Post
RE "It's been generally well-received (apart from by Edge, who utterly demolished it)"
Who's this Edge, then, eh? I'm guessing it's not the same one who plays with U2. More
Posted by badsanta at 11:34 on 28 September 2011 | Report This Post
So really, they're not adapting Dead Island the game, they're adapting Dead Island the trailer. More
Posted by Whistler at 11:07 on 28 September 2011 | Report This Post
3d Nothing more than a Gimmick
Why is Empire running a run of the mill story like this while the BBC reprt that most cinema goers believe 3d is nothing more than a gimmick A YouGov poll has found that 41% of people called it a gimmick with just 19% agreeing that 3D improves a film. Come on Empire get your act together.
More
Posted by jkemal at 10:39 on 28 September 2011 | Report This Post
Posted by JIm R at 10:25 on 28 September 2011 | Report This Post
Yes!!!
The game is great but if the movie's done right I think it could be better. And the emotional impact of the trailer never really filtered into the game apart from the end. A movie could tap into that emotion better than the game did. Hopefully they do it right. More
Posted by TomBowler at 10:10 on 28 September 2011 | Report This Post
Knowing Saw...
Although a good game! I feel, Saw have the potential to ruin this and milk it until its dry, somewhat like the Saw franchise. More
Posted by JRutherford at 10:05 on 28 September 2011 | Report This Post
