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Studios Battling Over Unannounced Video Game Rights

by Alex Billington
October 31, 2008

Maybe video game movies are the next big thing? Four major Hollywood studios, comprised of Universal, Paramount, New Regency, and MGM, are in a "high-stakes bidding battle" for the rights to an EA Games video game that hasn't even been publicly announced yet. The only details that have been revealed are that it will involve a journey through the depths of hell. Tentatively titled Dante's Inferno, the game is a modern interpretation of the epic poem from Dante's The Divine Comedy. The game is scheduled for release late next year, but hasn't even been mentioned or shown publicly to anyone yet, which makes this whole bidding battle quite interesting. At least it will be gaining a lot of early buzz based on this news.

The only other video game that I can recall that had its rights bought up in a similar pre-release purchase was Kane & Lynch. Lionsgate picked up the rights to adapt that game roughly five months ahead of its release date last June, but hasn't actually started production on the film just yet. Obviously something about Dante's Inferno is causing these studios to take a big interest in it - as in, something is up with this game. Although this is a shot in the dark, I'm curious whether it's similar to BioShock but set in the "depths of hell," or something else along those lines, with the atmosphere and story being the biggest selling points. We'll be sure to update everyone once we do find out more details about the game.

Explore tags: Movie News

Frost

Well, EA has made it very clear in various interviews that they want to release products aimed towards the mature demographic. After Dead Space's success, I am really looking forward to what this next IP will be about.
The Fly

An Inferno video game? Nice.
Kail

MADDEN 2010 IN HELL! Hello folks, John Madden here coming to you LIVE from the depths of hell to give you the play by play on what's going on! Well right now we got the New York/New Jersey Hitmen going up against Hell's Satans, with the Hitmen being the youngest team seeing as they were only dead for about 7 years, where as Hell's Satans have been dead for a millenia.
Ajax

First of all, why are they making a video game about Dante's Inferno. How are they even going to do that? Plus, why are they going to make the movie based on a video game? It will automatically suck. Just make it off the book.
Viper

#4 is right. Basing it on a video game is just plain stupid. I want a movie straight out of the poem itself. And the credits should have Iced Earth's 16 minute long song by the same name (it goes through every level of hell just like the poem).
Eddie

Wow... This game sounds goood. I have taken two survey about a that will be about Dante's Inferno. I hope this game adds a lot to the a God of war type of gameplay