Of course, you can’t judge any movie until you see the whole thing, but I don’t think anyone would blame me if video game adaptations gave me pause. The genre is littered with mediocre efforts and blockbuster flops, but Hollywood is really trying to change it around, because they know if they get it right, it could be very lucrative. So fingers are crossed that the “Macbeth” team of Justin Kurzel and Michael Fassbender can deliver a hit with Ubisoft‘s “Assassin’s Creed” later this year. And should that go well, they’ve got another project with a big name brewing.
Last month, Jake Gyllenhaal marked his return to tentpoles by signing up to star and produce the big screen take on Ubisoft’s “The Division.” Now, THR reports that Jessica Chastain wants to get in on the fun too. The actress will join Gyllenhaal in the movie that will be set in a dystopian New York City where a virus is on the loose, and the only way to stop it will be presumably through explosions or something.
Right now, the plan is to put together all the talent — which presumably also means a screenwriter and director — and shop it to studios, and certainly, so far it’s a very attractive offering. That said, with “Warcraft” bombing this summer (except in China), I could see studios still being wary despite the start power involved. But then again, the flipside of the coin is, you don’t want want to be the guy who turned down a franchise starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Jessica Chastain.
This is how today’s Hollywood works….studio comes up with a premise or concept, greenlights movie and then tries to come up with a script. That’s why most of these movies are garbage. Plus, they so focused on trying to manufacture a “franchise” and setting up theoretical future movies that they don’t bother making a good movie.
And before it was not like that? I mean, only original movies and dubious projects needs scripts to get the greenlight. And the films based on something (book/game/comic book/etc) needs just a concept or idea or premise to be approved for production. It was ALWAYS like that.
Funny you say Warcraft bombed…
It has grossed over $450 million on a likely total $200 mill cost to make and market. It opened up the doors for movies like this over seas.
Oh great. More shitty movies not aimed at you.
I loved it.
Like the casting, The Division could make a great movie, though they’ll need to sort out the politics of it; in the game you shoot looters dead without warning for being filthy criminal scum and then you loot the same shop for supplies. While it’s a fun game its morality is a bit unsettling, I mean Alex does not deserve is fate :*(
Step 1 in how to ruin a perfectly fine concept:
– hire Jessica Chastain