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Paul Verhoeven Working on a 1914 Video Game Adaptation?

by Alex Billington
April 13, 2010
Source: MTV

I've been waiting to see Paul Verhoeven return to his "roots" with more insanely violent action flicks like those he used to make back in the 80s and 90s, but that hasn't happened yet. Last we heard, Verhoeven was supposed to working on a thriller called Surrogate, but not anymore. MTV talked with Verhoeven recently who told them: "I am working on a movie now that is... situated in 1914. We are scripting it. It's an idea that exists already... from another medium, and so we are making it now into a film narrative." He wouldn't say the name, but did confirm that it's a video game that they're adapting the script from. So what could it be?

Verhoeven adds that the story is "basically, Indiana Jones-ish you could say, but also Hitchcockian." Well that's no help. How many games can you even think of that are set in 1914? Peter from SlashFilm seems to think it could be an old 1997 PC game called The Last Express, a real-time adventure game created by Jordan Mechner, the same guy who recently broke into Hollywood with Prince of Persia (he created that game and also wrote the script). The game takes place on the Orient Express days before the start of WWI and was even described at the time as "a mix of Indiana Jones and Alfred Hitchcock." We've got a winner!

So Verhoeven is finally returning to the war genre again, or at least he's adapting an adventure video game that's set entirely on a train (I think?) in 1914 before WWI. Sounds like a very unique concept and as long as it's as crazy violent and fun as Verhoeven's work from the 80's and 90's, then I'm in. I don't think Verhoeven has lost his touch recently, he just hasn't been working on any movies that are as risky and, to be honest, as entertaining as his earlier work. And whenever I re-watch an old Verhoeven movie, I always hope that we'll see more like it again soon. Has anyone played The Last Express? Will it make for a good movie?

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bliff

can you fly bobby?
Alex T.

You burnt the fucking money!
DoomCanoe

Its as good as marked, you asshole. You stupid, stupid asshole!
REAL6

BITCHES LEAVE!!!!!!
People's Champ

Dude can make a good movie, but he's got a few misses.
kap nod

does it hurt??? does it huuuuurt?
http://www.luxury-trains.co.uk/orient_express.htm O Express

The Orient Express has always been a favourite setting for novels, and now games?
Loser

Yes, get back in Robocop shape mr Verhoeven and I will be camping outside the Cinema for weeks before opening night
Alex T.

YOU NOW HAVE 15 SECONDS TO COMPLY!
yeah

I'm VEEERY disappointed!
http://twitter.com/gimmesumsuga Mathieu

#5 Only Showgirls really, and now that's a camp classic. Everything else he has done is either brilliant, very good or pretty good. No stinkers in his 30-plus years behind the camera other than the aforementioned smut-fest, so he's definitely an under-valued auteur these days. Maybe if he has a couple more hits he can get back his early-nineties clout and put a stop to that proposed Robocop remake... The original is flawless. Anyway, any new film from him is great news. He had some health problems, hence the quiet spell. He must be feeling better.
People's Champ

Showgirls definitely and I didnt care for Hollow Man. The effects were cool but the script was lacking, but I havent seen it in 10 years, I might think different about it today. I think there's another one?
http://twitter.com/gimmesumsuga Mathieu

Hollow Man would fall in the 'pretty good' category for me, I wouldn't class it as a bad film. It's not Verhoeven firing on all cylinders, but at the time the effects were groundbreaking, and his staging of the action and invisibilty sequences is very imaginative. Plus, it's a big budget Hollywood action film with gore, swearing and nudity, things that sadly went out of fashion in the noughties! For me, Showgirls is the only disappointment in a long, fascinating career. Even Basic Instinct - which is now often sneered at - is a gorgeously shot, tightly constructed Hitchcockian thriller with a brilliant score from Jerry Goldsmith. I can't wait for Verhoeven to get back behind the camera, especially if he's channelling Hitchcock again (probably his biggest influence)...
yuyuyu98

You call his violent 80's and 90's hollywood flicks his "roots"?? For your information, he started making dutch flicks in the 60's which are totally different than his hollywood flicks in the 80's. I'm nt saying there's anything wrong with his insanely violent action flicks, in fact i loved them. But you mr. Billington should do more research before writing this crap. On the other hand, I don't expect anything intelligent from someone who called John Woo a slack director without seeing his Hong Kong masterpieces. Ignorance is bliss.