[UPDATE] Dead Island Trailer Buzz Ensures Movie Deal

[Tom Goldman]

[UPDATE] Dead Island Trailer Buzz Ensures Movie Deal

After the release of its very popular trailer, Dead Island is under negotiations to become a feature film.

The teaser trailer for Dead Island [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/107826-Dead-Island-The-Best-Zombie-Game-Trailer-Ever], released just a couple of days ago, soared through the internet and has already accumulated millions of viewers. This viral popularity put the owners of the movie rights in a very happy position, with many different filmmakers courting them to try to make a deal.

Though the recent trailer brought Dead Island into the limelight, Techland has been working on the game for more than two years. Deadline reports that production companies Sean Daniel Company, of Mummy [http://www.amazon.com/Mummy-Trilogy-Returns-Emperor-Blu-ray/dp/B001HQZJP2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1298132405&sr=8-1] fame, and Union Entertainment acquired the movie rights to the game a year ago. Today, that's looking like a smart buy.

Studios are reportedly banging down SDC and UE's doors, suggesting plotlines and talent to star in the Dead Island movie. These plans are likely to be hammered out soon. Deadline also says that the film will follow a Memento [http://www.amazon.com/Memento-10th-Anniversary-Blu-ray-Pearce/dp/B004FHCH96/ref=sr_1_1?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1298132419&sr=1-1]-like storyline, which shows the end of the movie first, similar to the teaser.

Based on popularity, the movie deal seems like a good idea. However, the teaser is basically nothing but an incredible CG short film that might not even be a part of the game. The game itself hasn't been shown yet aside from seven screenshots.

[gallery=131]

It seems a little early for studios to climb over each other to get to these movie rights when all we've seen is a teaser, but I know its effect will make me pay attention to a Dead Island film. The teaser is one of the most moving works of zombie media I've ever seen, so if a movie can recapture that feeling I'm all for it. If not, it's easily ignored.

Update: Now Joystiq is reporting that Deep Silver, Dead Island's publisher, says that the movie rights to the game haven't been sold yet. It is, however, entertaining "a vast amount of inquiries," so the movie will probably still happen.

Source: Joystiq [http://www.deadline.com/2011/02/viral-sensation-dead-island-takes-movie-shape/]

Permalink

 

[Phlakes]

Kinda rushed, I think. It'll probably go through production hell, get a decent producer or director, then get shut down after a few years.

 

[GiantRaven]

This whole sudden Dead Island craze isn't going to end well, I can just sense it...

 

[beema]

please... no more zombies... please
I'm bored to tears with zombies
when's the zombie teen romance movie series coming out already?

 

[Outright Villainy]

This won't end well...

The trailer was fantastic of course, but this just seems like a cash grab.

 

[LavaLampBamboo]

I really hate the trailer. I feel it crosses a line somewhere, but ignoring that, I think getting a movie deal based off a trailer alone? Seems too hasty... Just because the trailers popular, the game could end up being a piece of crap...

Well, only time will tell I suppose...

 

[Eleima]

Seems to me as if it's extremely premature to start talking about a movie deal, especially with just the trailer to go on.

But hey, it's their money, not mine.

 

[Truly-A-Lie]

I studied Memento and while its structure may feel like a gimmick to some, it serves a real purpose within the story and the film. The Dead Island trailer uses it to stand out, and clearly that worked, but the actual game and story will have no need for the reverse narrative. I can only see this turning out to be a generic zombie story (as if we don't have enough to choose from already) disguised as something more by being told backwards. Unless there's some twist that can only be effective if the story begins at the end, it's pointless.

 

[Deacon Cole]

Oh boy.

More zombies.

How *yawn* exciting.

Watching the trailer, I suspect the time-reversing thing is just a gimmick for the trailer. The game itself looks like a generic zombie yarn, like there's another kind of zombie yarn, with the location being the main draw as it's a tropical island resort. This pits some very unprepared people against the dull as dishwater shambling horde in a slightly unique environment since hotels are deathtraps.

No one usually thinks about this when staying at a hotel, but they seem designed to fuck you in an emergency. The tight corridors and limited access can make them defensible, but there's also limited escape routes if you need them, either. The island settling is also constraining, limiting the number of places to hide from boring monstrosities.

So as a game, it might have potential, although it might be better as a Left 4 Dead expansion.

I sincerely doubt if the time reversed thing in the trailer has anything to do with the game. I think all of those people speculating it does are setting themselves up for an heroic amount of disappointment. I hope they get it because they deserve it.

The potential for a movie, on the other hand, is dead on the floor. There is nothing new here than another, just as bad movie has not already done. So this will be attempting to trade on the name recognition alone since there is no substance. Which will fare poorly for the film if the game disappoints in the amounts mentioned above. but as an obvious cash-in, they deserve it as well.

 

[Dan Stillman]

Very rushed, but still DO WANT.

 

[Dethpixie]

Oh wow, I'm starting to get that nagging chilling feeling that happens when people start to realize how much money they could make by milking a property to death before it's even released.

It's a shame too. I love zombies (please don't flame me) and I've been waiting a long time for someone to do a more serious, human, take on the genre. Dead Island has that promise but I fear nothing good can come of this level of exposure...

 

[johnman]

But all they've had to base it on is a trailer and a handful of screenshots!

 

[GiantRaven]

For both this and Alice they say they're going with a Memento-like style. I can just see it, three years from now in what seemed like a normal summer to begin with, we'll suddenly be bombarded with confusing, out of order videogame movies.

Oh Nolan, you crazy bastard. This was your plan all along, wasn't it?

 

[Beat14]

Guess this is what happens when you do it properly, people want to make a movie about it. Good on them, even if it is just a bit early.

 

[Katamake]

I cant see why people keep saying zombies have been done to death, pun intended. There havent realy been that many high-end zombie centered video games series beyond left 4 dead and dead rising, and id count that as two in my book, weve had a red dead redemption D/L content and some extras like the end of world at war and black ops.
Books i could say have been done to death on zombies, movies/filums definatley, but i havent been satisfied properly on the interactive fiction front, I want something done like dead island is proposing, just hope they dont bugger it all up.

 

[Scabadus]

I can't help but feel that this is a smart move by the movie companies. Dead Island is going to get a lot of attention after that viral trailer, which means a lot of brand recognition. All the game has to do is not be terrible and people will flock to the movie. In fact, even if the game is terrible a lot of people on YouTube and other sights will have seen the trailer, but have no interest in games; they wouldn't even know if the game utterly bombed.