As we’ve said before, successful videogames do not always make for a great movie – or even a watchable one. But that doesn't mean the genre isn't moving full steam ahead. A trailer for the fifth installment in the video game adaptation series “Resident Evil” just dropped yesterday, and the wheels are also in motion for a “Need For Speed” adaptation with “Act of Valor” helmer Scott Waugh on board, along with a “Twisted Metal” film with “Crank” co-director Brian Taylor.
And that’s not all, as producers are shopping around an adaptation of the successful Ubisoft game “Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell,” with talks initially landing at Warner Bros., but now it looks as if Paramount Pictures is in the lead to land the potential franchise. Paramount is certainly no stranger to being in the business of Tom Clancy (who really only endorsed the game on which this is based) as they’ve been home to the Jack Ryan franchise for more than two decades. Nor is the studio a stranger to video game franchises, as it was behind both Angelina Jolie-starring game adaptations “Tomb Raider” and its sequel “Tomb Raider: Cradle of Life.”
The first “Splinter Cell” game from 2002 follows stealth mission expert Sam Fisher (regularly voiced by the excellent Michael Ironside) as he searches for two U.S. agents in the former Soviet republic, but then uncovers a double cross and a plot regarding a nuclear device. The rest of the games were in a similar mindset, with stealth game play being key, so perhaps this will be more of an espionage thriller than all-out action picture – and we’re cool with that.
We’ll be eager to see who they line up for the project — Paramount was keen enough to attract Kenneth Branagh to their upcoming Chris Pine-starring Jack Ryan reboot — even if we aren’t exactly thrilled about another video game film.