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Universal Making a Movie Out of Atari's Asteroids Game

by Alex Billington
July 2, 2009

They're really scraping the bottom of the barrel this time. Universal won a bidding war to pick up the film rights to the classic Atari video game Asteroids that first debuted in 1979. Yep, that very simple, arcade game involving a triangle shooting various asteroids. Newcomer Matthew Lopez will write the script for the feature adaptation, which will be produced by Transformers producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura. This line from the THR article is the best part. "As opposed to today's games, there is no story line or fancy world-building mythology, so the studio would be creating a plot from scratch." Is that really a good thing?

No director is attached and the screenwriter, Matt Lopez, only has the most recent draft of The Sorcerer's Apprentice to his name so far. The sad part about this news is that it's not that I don't know a story they could come up with for a movie, it's just that it'll be stretched out to such a painful amount that it's destined to a giant piece of crap. For the longest time, it was always a joke that one day someone would adapt Asteroids. Now it's really happening. I'm sure this means movies based on Tetris and Frogger and Pac Man won't be too far behind either, right? God damn you Hollywood! Is there any hope for this movie?

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Ken Masters

Armageddon, Deep Impact, Asteroid. Its the end of the world as we know it. And I feel fine.....first! BTW, I wouldnt second guess another movie like the above three mentioned.
chris

I find it funny how the THR article refers to current videogames as having ''fancy world building mythology'', something pretty much every great sci fi / fantasy film has... and spinning the lack of story in the game as a positive factor so that the film makers don't have to dumb down an already rich story is... sad.
dave13

I'm feeling Lemmings is the next game adapted to a movie. That, or that Snake game...
http://alexmasterson.wordpress.com/ Digital Metaphor

How about Pac Man as some sort of pill-fueled junkie, haunted by the ghosts of his dark past and trapped within the confining maze of his own fragmented mind... There's a good film plot in there somewhere
esophus

how does becoming a screen writer work in Hollywood cause I always thought a story comes to the table first. This sounds like its the other way around...now they just sit around smoking pot with rolling papers made out of hundreds and pull these ideas out of thier ass's and then say "lets get someone on that and I want to see a first draft on my desk in a week"...I'm guessing there are so many good scripts floating around and they wont give these talented people a chance. instead they run with shit like this.
mcguffey

#4 maybe nolan's Inception is actually a pacman film?
w00t!!!

This is crazy man. The other game movies haven't had updates but this should be funny to keep up with. Why not adapt something that has a plot? What I don't get is, there are games that have stories and plots and everything you need to where you don't need to do anything. Just make it live action. Release MGS4 with all the videos tied together. lol
PJ H

This sounds like a really bad SNL skit.
Luis M

#9 is either boring spam, or a viral for some new thriller movie...
bozoconnors

it's boring spam. Asteroids the movie eh? Hmm. Withholding judgment till teaser.
Dreckent

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA.... omg! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!
http://www.themoviebanter.com Craig

Can't believe they are doing this. Making the most out of any brand they possibly could. Didn't we already have Deep Impact and Armageddon?
Moviegimp

Is Uwe Boll going to direct? Will this be 90 minutes of a spaceship in an asteroid field trying to survive with alien craft attacks every once in a while? And people think 2009 is the year good movies died. With winners like Asteroids and Candy Land coming to a theater near you...I've got nothing. Just speechless.
David Banner

....how low can u go....maybe a movie about the half-life of a fridge?
SlashBeast

Are you fucking kidding me? Of all of the great movies just waiting to get greenlit, THIS one makes it through?
Robbie

And the worst part is that Universal WON the rights, so that means other companies wanted to make a movie about it.. What the hell is happening?!
Dave Lister, JMC

You got Pac-Man? No. You got Space Invaders? No. You got Asteroids? I used to; but they went away.
DoomCanoe

#4 hahaha that owns! i cant believe they are making this. how stoned do you have to be to sit down, turn on astroids and think you can make an entertaining movie out of it? REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY FUCKING STONED!
Spider

Wow! Coming Soon---'Space Invaders' and 'Galaga'. It's all about the story-- all about the story!
Ajax

This seems like that college humor video where they made a movie out of Minesweeper.
Wylles

Happy April Fools Day! Oh wait..... SO its Real?????? Man....... so Next comes: Pitfall, Defender, Plaque Attack, Missile Command, Frogger, Centipede, Tetris, Breakout, Air Raid, Space Invaders, Battlezone, California Games, Choplifter, Commando, Dig Dug, Enduro, Joust, Karateca, Montezumas Revenge, Moon Patrol, Night Driver, Test Drive, Q-Bert, Lode Runner, Space Wars, Time Pilot, Zaxxon, and who knows what other Instant Flim Classics.... Yeah, Lucky they cancelled Halo Eh? Great Move...
Cody

yeah gonna repeat #11......BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHHAHAHA ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!?!? AHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAAHAHHAHAHHAAHAHHAAHAHAHA
donnie don

bring back the super mario bros movies!
David Banner

#22: You forgot Nemesis, NARC and Gauntlet.....what ever drugs they are doing in Hollywood atm, plz, just stick to weed? Oh, wait! NARC told us you turn into a crazed clown wielding a kitchenknife if you do drugs!
SHANEDAV

Will stick to using my quarters or Atari at home..................... *UPDATE* I thought about all the big rocks exploding and that would be cool count me in
bluff

up next, chex mix the movie.
Dr Robotnik

I will see this movie and love it
Lester C

@11.Dreckent -> Agreed
http://www.epictoon.com/ eq plat

Hopefully not a cheesy Armageddon-ish movie again, we're all sick and tired to those kinds. A credible director, nice plot, perfect graphics and action-packed would definitely produce an amazing film out of the Asteroid game. By the way, do you have any idea how much Universal spent to own the rights?