Atari/Universal Planning 10 Films Adapted from Classic Videogames

Hollywood’s latest video game bet is getting a retro boost. Deadline reports that Atari has struck a deal with Universal Pictures to develop 10 classic Atari game properties for the big screen, a move that taps straight into gaming nostalgia and the growing appetite for franchise brands. Entertainment 360’s Guymon Casady, Matt Reilly, and Carl Hampe are producing the project. Reilly and Hampe are also writing the screenplay for the first feature film based on Atari intellectual property, though Universal has not said which game it is tied to yet. Atari CEO and Chairman Wade Rosen told Deadline, “For more than five decades, Atari has created games and worlds that have remained part of popular culture long after their original release. We are excited to work with Universal and Entertainment 360 to bring the spirit of our iconic brand and games to a new medium.” The deal covers some of Atari’s best-known titles, including Asteroids, Adventure, Berzerk, Breakout, Centipede, Crystal Castles, Millipede, Missile Command, Pong, and Yars’ Revenge. Universal is aiming for big-budget films, not small nostalgia plays. This is not Atari’s first trip through Hollywood’s development swamp. Univer...