Resident Evil Director Wants to Make Movies and Games Together

[Austin MacKenzie]

Resident Evil Director Wants to Make Movies and Games Together

Resident Evil [http://www.amazon.com/Resident-Evil-High-Definition-Apocalypse-Extinction/dp/B000YPUFAQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1278527796&sr=1-1] movie director Paul W.S. Anderson wants to unite the creation of movies and games, and not in the cheap knockoff sense, either.

Videogame movies are tricky, and nobody should know better than Anderson. His first major foray into the videogame movie world, Resident Evil, was not particularly well-received by fans and critics alike. Still, he says, he loves games, and is returning to make Resident Evil: Afterlife, having left the series after the first theatrical release. Although Anderson is planning to direct a number of game movies such as Castlevania and Driver, what he really wants to do is unite the creation of movies and games, creating them both at the same time.

"In the future I want to be developing intellectual properties that will occupy both spaces simultaneously...I've been actively involved in the gaming world for 15 years now, talking to developers ever since Mortal Kombat, so I think I have a very good appreciation for what their needs and what their concerns are," Anderson said. "I think I really do know how to join the two medias together in a successful way, and that's what I'll be working on in the next few years."

Anderson said he intends to kick off his project with the release of Buck Rogers [http://www.amazon.com/Buck-Rogers-25th-Century-Complete/dp/B0002MHDW4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1278527822&sr=1-1], a late 1920's sci-fi comic that saw a number of television and theatrical releases over the years, the most recent being in 1981.

"Buck Rogers is something that's starting from ground zero right now, so that's definitely something that I would be considering doing. Really my approach to bridging the two medias is from Buck onwards," Anderson said.

Making a game and making a movie are two entirely different beasts, but uniting the development could at least bring both to equal levels of polish.

Source: MTV Multiplayer


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[cobrausn]

It's a general rule that movies based on games suck and games based on movies suck. Sometimes both suck.

Besides, don't they practically make games at the same time as big movies anyway? I remember the Avatar game being out at the same time as the movie.

 

[Riobux]

Considering how off topic and awful the films were, I honestly hope he's not even remotely suggesting that he's going to take part at all in the production of future Resident Evil games.

 

[FinalDream]

So...he wants to make bad games as well as bad movies? I don't understand his logic!

 

[rembrandtqeinstein]

The best way to appreciate movies based on games is to show up buzzed, sneak a fifth, and maintain your buzz throughout the whole movie. I suspect many movies would be better with this treatment but video game movies in particular need it.

 

[Mutie]

Resident Evil the movie was the biggest pile of wank ever to taint my VHS video player... Such a shame as well, seeing how the Resident Evil video game series (0 - Code Veronica) is excellent.

 

[sonic232]

Does anyone else think about 'Enter the Matrix' when he talks about this? Remember how they pushed that game out while it still felt and played like a beta because of the movie release date? Do we REALLY want to make this the standard? Unless you halt the release of a movie title until you finish with the game you intend to tie-in, a movie release deadline is one of the most harsh. It cannot be delayed, that is when the movie shall come out and if you do not release the game within the first WEEK of release, people will lose interest. Worse yet, if the game contains PLOT POINTS the movie does not, this would leave a great deal of your audience confused as to how certain things happened. This is because, and this is important, NOT EVERYONE WHO WATCHES THE MOVIE WILL PLAY THE GAME.

Having the same people who make the movie make the game has been done before, and it left a bad taste in my mouth.

 

[Not G. Ivingname]

Didn't James Cameron try this "Game and Movie" build with Avatar, sharing resources and taking stuff that was in the game and put it into the movie, and the game sales failed miserably?

If the biggest budgeted film in history with one of the most legendary directors in history couldn't do it, why should Paul be any better?

 

[DigitalSushi]

Does anyone else think about 'Enter the Matrix' when he talks about this?

I thought of "Street Fighter The Movie: The Game", were Paul WS Anderson makes a film about a video game and then makes a game about the film.

Firstly, life imitating art imitating crap, secondly faffle sauce.

 

[GL2814E]

So...he wants to make bad games as well as bad movies? I don't understand his logic!

Awesome... You sir are awesome.

Meh, I am sure more and more games and movies will be tied in together creatively. And I am sure some will be decent, but most won't.

 

[Krion_Vark]

Making a game and making a movie are two entirely different beasts, but uniting the development could at least bring both to equal levels of polish.

Or it could bring an even new level of suck to the playing field. Yeah it might help but there is also the better chance that the artistic differences in the game developer and the director/producer could lead to something that was not intended to happen at all which could be a good thing or a whole new level of crap movie and game.

 

[midpipps]

Does anyone else think about 'Enter the Matrix' when he talks about this? Remember how they pushed that game out while it still felt and played like a beta because of the movie release date? Do we REALLY want to make this the standard? Unless you halt the release of a movie title until you finish with the game you intend to tie-in, a movie release deadline is one of the most harsh. It cannot be delayed, that is when the movie shall come out and if you do not release the game within the first WEEK of release, people will lose interest. Worse yet, if the game contains PLOT POINTS the movie does not, this would leave a great deal of your audience confused as to how certain things happened. This is because, and this is important, NOT EVERYONE WHO WATCHES THE MOVIE WILL PLAY THE GAME.

Having the same people who make the movie make the game has been done before, and it left a bad taste in my mouth.

Just to be clear I do not want to see anymore bad games based off of movies either but what you have to realize with games like enter the matrix and such was that usually they are started after the movie has already been in production for quite a while. This usually causes games based on movies to be rushed out the door to meet the street date of the movie even though they need alot more polish and testing. What I think this guy is trying to say is that he would like to start the game at the same time as starting the movie ergo giving the game company a better chance of having a solid game out at the same time as the movie.

 

[Madmanonfire]

We already have a game-movie. It's called FF13.

 

[Jared]

If he can pull it off and actually make it good, I would be all for it...but making it good, and wanting it to be good arae two different things...

 

[Vigilantis]

Honestly I don't want him touching any game based movies in the future because he completely F'd up Resident Evil to the point that it made Jill Valentine a second rate banana. WHO THE FUCK IS ALICE!? Oh wait its his wife... No Mr. Anderson I do not want you're wife as Alice in Castlevania making the Belmonts second rate, or (I know hes thinking this in his mind) completely revamping Castlevania to have Simon Belmont as a girl, played of course by his wife.

 

[Silver Patriot]

The way the topic read I thought he wanted to try and tie the RE movies and games together. That idea scared the SHIT out of me.

[EDIT] Goldeneye 007 continues to this day to give me false hope about games and movies. (And yes I know they didn't come out at the same time, but it was GOOD!)

 

[Lazarus Long]

I didn't have a problem with the RE movie. Yeah, it was blisteringly stupid, but I got the impression it knew that and just rolled with it. The only way I could have improved it would be to make a feature-length version of the FMV intro to the first game. Then again, I'm a big sucker for the Narm Charm.

The thought of another Enter the Matrix disturbs me, but I have hope that this kind of thing can be done right. I'm just not sure whose hands to put it in. I don't know how much John Woo had to do with Stranglehold, but every time I play it, I give up an hour or so into it and reinstall Max Payne.

We already have a game-movie. It's called FF13.

I see your Final Fantasy and raise you Metal Gear Solid.

completely revamping Castlevania to have Simon Belmont as a girl, played of course by his wife.

I could deal with a Symphony of the Night movie with Milla as Maria (provided she retains the same amount of screen time) and Dani Filth as Alucard.

Spoiler: I can dream.