Deus Ex Will Be a "Cyberpunk Movie"

[Andy Chalk]

Deus Ex Will Be a "Cyberpunk Movie"

The writer and director of the upcoming Deus Ex film say they're going to dodge the curse of videogame movies by not making a videogame movie.

We (or at least, I) first learned that a film based on Deus Ex: Human Revolution is in the works back in November [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/120680-Deus-Ex-Goes-Hollywood] of 2012. But the excitement of seeing a franchise I love getting the silver screen treatment was tempered by the knowledge that videogame movies, almost without exception, are steaming crapola. There are semi-exceptions here and there - the first Mortal Kombat film was a lot of fun, for instance - but by and large, if you're making a videogame movie, you're in trouble from the get-go.

The simple solution, then, according to Deus Ex writer-director Scott Derrickson and his partner C. Robert Cargill, is to not make a videogame movie. "We just keep telling each other, 'We're not making a videogame movie, we're making a cyberpunk movie'," Cargill told Crave Online. "And Scott and I are such big cyberpunk fans from way back in the day that that just really charges us up. Because that's what's so great about Deus Ex to begin with, is it really gets cyberpunk."

But they also acknowledged that the cyberpunk genre is a difficult beast in its own right, not only because of infamous failures like Johnny Mnemonic but also because of films like Blade Runner and The Matrix, which Derrickson described as "iconic and insurmountable" even though they aren't really cyberpunk films. They're looking at more "grounded" films like District 9, Looper and Inception as "molds" for Deus Ex, because of their more realistic approach to the genre.

"Cargill said, 'Oh no, videogames movies always suck.' And I said, 'So did comic book movies, until they didn't. You know?'" Derrickson said, "I'm a big believer and I think Cargill is now, as well, that videogames... Videogames and cyberpunk, I'm hoping that there will be a new wave of both, because there's amazing source material for great films there."

Source: Crave Online [http://www.craveonline.com/film/interviews/205309-it-will-be-cyberpunk-scott-derrickson-a-c-robert-cargill-on-deus-ex]


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[Gearhead mk2]

While I have high hopes, I also have low expectations. I love the Deus Ex verse, but the only good film really related to gaming is Wreck-it Ralph.[footnote]though that was a DAMN good movie[/footnote] Plus... well, Blade Runner is not actually very good IMO, so if that's being held up as the greatest cyberpunk movie ever, I'm kinda worried about the genre.

 

[Fappy]

While their approach is certainly comforting I still have serious reservations about this whole thing. I guess time will tell.

 

[Doom972]

I really hope that they won't fuck it up, but I believe that they will. I don't think that 3 hours is enough time to explore the ideas in any Deus Ex game AND have action scenes properly. I really wish we could get a Deus Ex miniseries based on the original Deus Ex instead.

Maybe it'll at least have a better ending.

 

[Major_Tom]

No mention of Ghost in the Shell? Fine, it's your movie, let Looper be your "mold"... whatever the hell that means.

 

[Rad Party God]

I never a... wait what?, they're aiming for a videogame movie to not suck?... I'm intrigued, but only time will tell if they ever stick to their word and manage to pull this off.

 

[1337mokro]

Then why are you calling it Deus Ex.

If you just wanted to make a cyberpunk movie inspired by Deus Ex, do that. I never got why a videogame movie was such a big deal, I hated them because I almost never got anything extra out of them and when I did get something extra all I could think about was "Would have been nice to play a game centered around this".

Turning a Book into a movie makes sense, bringing a world that previously only existed in someone's imagination to life is something that takes skill and creativity. A videogame is already a visual medium. The world is already fleshed out in ways a movie can never even come close to.

If it's a good movie then all the better but the question will always remain. Why call it Deus Ex? Calling your movie Titan the Cybrainian would have literally no impact on anything in it when you are making a cyberpunk movie that apparently only has the title Deus Ex because allot of gamers know what it means and might see your movie.

 

[Johnnydillinger]

No mention of Ghost in the Shell? Fine, it's your movie, let Looper be your "mold"... whatever the hell that means.

That, and RoboCop. Anything goes for me if it's not like Looper, really... That movie was just, how do I put it, arse.

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

That's exactly what every other major video game movie did and that's exactly why they all suck. They didn't stick to the source material. They all tried to make something original, ignoring what fans expect. Look at Resident Evil, Hitman and Max Payne for example. They are all just shitty movies with the name of the game slapped on them. And these guys want to do the same? We shouldn't be excited for this news at all, because it's exactly what's wrong with movies that are based on video games.

So no. Your aim shouldn't be to make a good cyberpunk movie. Your aim should be to make a good Deus Ex movie. Making a good cyberpunk movie doesn't mean it's a good Deus Ex movie. However, making a good Deus Ex movie by definition means that it's also a good cyberpunk movie.

 

[Elijah Newton]

Perhaps they'll use all the footage from their trailer which they didn't put in the game... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kq5KWLqUewc&feature=player_embedded

 

[Twilight_guy]

You know happens when you ignore the games and make your movie based on a setting or overall feel of a game? You get the Super Mario brothers, and we all know how much gamers like that.

I'm not worried though, I've hard so many video game projects that got started and never went anywhere that I doubt this one will go anywhere either.

 

[LordMonty]

Seems vage gibber, but hope its good.

 

[deathbydeath]

Ugg, this makes me frustrated. Deus Ex was never about cyberpunk, Deus Ex was about power. You know why DX3 had a crappy story? It forgot what Deus Ex was about. Deus Ex 1 would work just as well in a fantasy, historical, or even Star Wars-esque science fiction.

Dear Scott Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill, please play Deus Ex 1 and 2. Study them, learn their themes, memorize their quotes and examine their characters. Then and only then will you know what Deus Ex is about, and Deus Ex is not about cyberpunk.

 

[Phuctifyno]

"Cargill said, 'Oh no, videogames movies always suck.' And I said, 'So did comic book movies, until they didn't. You know?'" Derrickson said,

this this this this this this this!!!

I've been sayin' this for years. I hope they truly understand the mechanics of that statement.


Though this does kind of destroy my dream of a Deus Ex movie being the first (only?) well-done "choose your own adventure" film.
Hey, a guy can dream... [small](of electric sheep, narf)[/small].

 

[J Tyran]

/sigh, because game movies are always rubbish. Its a crying shame though,

Spoiler: check how cinematic this trailer looks

Deus Ex would make a great movie, if they do concentrate on making a scifi/cyberpunk movie rather than a game tie in it might work. Still have others have said "high hopes with low expectations". The tie in books where OK though, not award winning material but pleasant enough to relax with for an afternoon.