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CBS Films Lands the Rights to Adapt 'Deus Ex' Video Game Series

by Ethan Anderton
July 10, 2012

Despite the fact that video game adaptation never really seem to live up to fans' hopes and expectations, studios keep trying hard to make them work. Seemingly, the most successful franchise is that of Resident Evil (stay tuned for our coverage of Resident Evil: Retribution at Comic-Con this week), but they're not exactly the best films, and even fans of the games find them to be off-putting. Now yet another video game will get a chance on the big screen as CBS Films announced today that they have landed the rights to Deus Ex, the Square Enix video game franchise that started back in 2000 and just released a new title in 2011.

Set in the near future, when dramatic advances in science, specifically human augmentation, have triggered a technological renaissance, Deus Ex: Human Revolution follows Adam Jensen, an ex-SWAT security specialist who must embrace mechanical augments in order to unravel a global conspiracy. That's the most recent installment of the video game franchise, and it sounds like that game will serve as the inspiration for the film, rather than going back to the beginning of the franchise to start the story. No director or writer is attached to the adaptation yet, so stay tuned as this project continues to develop. Any potential?

Filed under Development, Movie News

From around the web:

Zen

Not that great a game, IMO, but definitely an interesting world to build from.
- bat0u
  
  an excellent game, IMO. lots of potential.
- Kristina_S2
  
  Yea the game was OK, I spent most of my time breaking into computers and etc, those hacking upgrades don't help in boss fights at all...
- Scopedog
  
  Yep. All three DE games had some solid world-building. Loved the first, didn't play the second except for the demo, and played through most of HUMAN REVOLUTION (the third and a prequel to the first two games). Liked that one, but not as much as the first.
Kristina_S2

This can go so wrong so easily though...
- Scopedog
  
  That's the case for all movies. Frankly, I wish them the best, because I do like the DE games. But if they screw it up, well, no skin off my nose--I'll just not watch the movie.
Tikey

I never asked for this
- Ricardo_PT
  
  Is it weird that I read that in jansen's voice? :p
  - redguy
    
    no mate, i also did that. and i never asked for this.
- Scopedog
  
  Nobody ever asks for a movie--except film execs. Now move along.
Ehsan Davodi

When this games that i write them bellow , don't be turned to cinematic adaption , Deus Ex doesnt anything to say : Metal Gear Solid / Uncharted / Kill Zone / Halo / Dead Space / Heavy Rain / Fallout / Bioshock / Crisis / Fear / Alan Wake / Call of Duty : Modern War Frame / Red Dead Redemption / Kingdom Hearts / Fear Effect / ONIMUSHA / Devil May Cry / Left For Dead / Mass Effect / Oblivion / God Of War / Gears Of War / .... This be ruined project beside : Lara Croft , Doom , Max Payne ... Oh my God !!!
- Scopedog
  
  Uh....just what are you trying to say?
  - Ehsan Davodi
    
    Hey , I say if a company or system likes make a movie based on a video game , would be better if they turn one of those incredible video games that I mention to a movie. I'm talking about PRIORITIES and QUANTITY of FANS. I prefer Metal Gear to Deus Ex and many fans either ! I prefer Kill Zone to Deus Ex and many fans either ! And ..........
    - Scopedog
      
      Well, there was the HALO movie project from a few years ago with Neil Blomkamp (sic) set to direct, but that fell apart. And an UNCHARTED film is currently in "development hell". MASS EFFECT has been optioned, and there is an animated film in the works. Then again, there was the anime HALO: LEGENDS from a couple of years ago....that had some cool stuff, so check it out--but YMMV. Not every videogame-to-film adaptation has been horrible--the RESIDENT EVIL CGI film was pretty good (at least in my view), and I thought that SILENT HILL was pretty good....but that's just me. Not to mention that in Japan, it's pretty common to make anime based on videogames (say, STEIN'S GATE, f'instance).
      - Ehsan Davodi
        
        i knew this movies you mention dear scope and i agree with you about silent hill and say my opinion in my previous comments dude (like RE anime too but far from attractiveness of that beloved video game for me)
  - Stavi
    
    He's saying there are much better games to be made into movies, and Tomb Raider, Doom, and Max Payne were utter garbage.
    - Scopedog
      
      Well, he's right about these three (PAYNE was especially painful to watch, even if it had Mila Kunis....). But there's HALO: LEGENDS which turned out well (at least in my view) and ME is getting the animated treatment...BIOSHOCK, UNCHARTED, and DEAD SPACE have been optioned for the movies, but right now are in "development hell". Just keep Uwe Boll away from them, please!!
David Banner

The first Deus Ex, now 15-20 years old, is still one of my favorite games. But this will not translate well into a (an American) movie.
- Scopedog
  
  You never know.
safety dance

So they are basically going to remake Ghost in the Shell / Blade Runner / Robocop? I hope they keep the soundtrack from the game.
- Scopedog
  
  Well--hoped they would work from the first game, but hell, HR was pretty solid, in my view. And no, making a DE film isn't going to be "remaking Ghost in the Shell/Blade Runner/Robocop". Just sayin'.
  - oh no u di'n't
    
    Adam Jensen gets fucked up by bad guys gets revenge/Murphy gets fucked up by bad guys gets revenge/Robocop check Protagonists cyber "gear" is sponsored by an organisation in exchange for his/hers services /Ghost in the Shell check The whole what does it mean to be human ,where are the bounderies theme + Jensens apartment looks very much like Deckard's and the whole cyberpunk vibe/look of the DE:HR world / Blade Runner check There are also plenty of nods to Neuromancer Yeah I guess you are right,DE film is going to be totally like original I don't care,if they make it as half as good as the atmosphere in the game is, I'll like it. Just no Uwe Boll please.
    - Scopedog
      
      "Just no Uwe Boll please." Agreed.
Jericho

YAY~ wait CBS?...pass.....
Cody W

Ugh now there gonna fuck up a real classic seriously? The first DE is still one of the greatest most groundbreaking games ever made.
- Scopedog
  
  It looks like they are concentrating on the third game, which was released by Square Enix. But, yeah, you're right on the money about the first game--it was one of the best games I've ever played (but did you play through all the different endings?).
  - Cody W
    
    Yeah lol, was one of the first game I ever played on PC. Put at least 80-100 hours into that game lol. I just specced my character differently tailored to a different ending. Honestly I thought the 3rd one was complete shit on PC. The controls were just god awful it wasn't worth it.
Lamar

Some video game movies turn out to be not only decent, but pretty good adaptations too. Tomb Raider was pretty good, the animated Resident Evil movie (Degeneration I think), Silent Hill, and Tekken was amazingly unsucky as well.
redguy

i would love to see a DeusEx Human Revolution movie, but in pristine high quality CGI animation, Ubisoft or Blizzard quality cinematics. And that...will never happen. Still waiting for a Warcraft movie, that will probably never come.