Games and films have long had a rocky relationship (think and shudder at the likes of Resident Evil or Doom). But a new deal between videogaming and a Hollywood animation studio could signal a change in the way the two industries work.
Videogame creators Lorne Lanning and Sherry McKenna – who co-founded the multi-million selling Oddworld series of console games - are teaming up with Vanguard Animation to develop Citizen Siege, an original CG animated feature. This tie-up, we’re told, differs from previous deals between the movie and games industries by using talents from both sides to produce something new, rather than take an existing games license and turn it into a film or vice versa.
The film will revolve around an ex-patriot who finds himself ensnared in a nightmarish credit racket that leaves him “repossessed”, in a new universe where current global conditions are extrapolated into a frightening near future in which democracy has all but disintegrated under the rule of global corporatism.
Lanning and McKenna will draw on their experience of creating a videogame world of “heartfelt characters and socially relevant storylines”, while Vanguard bring the expertise they have learned from working on Shrek and creating the CG flick Valiant in 2005. Lanning will direct, and Vanguards' John Williams will produce, what they promise will be a politically edgy sci-fi action thriller. McKenna will executive produce with Vanguard execs Terry Botwick and Margaret French Isaac.
McKenna said: “We’re thrilled to be in partnership with John Williams and the wonderful folks at Vanguard to birth our latest universe. Their expertise, experience, and passionate vision for where the animated film market is headed enables Citizen Siege the support necessary to deliver the next generation of animated experience that mature audiences are ready for.”
Williams added, “Citizen Siege promises to be an action thriller that, like other great science fiction stories, also has incredible poignancy to the universal issues of our time. Lorne and Sherry are highly revered as founding masters of CG animation and we think Citizen Siege is perfectly suited to be a break out action adventure.”
David Crookes