Bad News for the Gears of War Movie

Andy Chalk

One Flag, One Fleet, One Cat
Nov 12, 2002
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Bad News for the Gears of War Movie


Things aren't looking too good for the Gears of War [http://gearsofwar.xbox.com/] movie, which has reportedly been dramatically scaled back and lost most of the high-priced talent that had signed up to take part.

It was in May of last year that the Gears of War movie was looking "Live Free or Die Hard [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/91498-Gears-of-War-Movie-Looking-Incredibly-Good] fame has been signed as the director. Befitting the game franchise, the project was going to be big: "A multi-generational epic with a big-canvas feel," as the L.A. Times put it.

It now appears that will no longer be the case. The film's budget has been cut dramatically, from over $100 million to "a good chunk less than that," while the story has also been reduced in scope and will now be "a more simple, straight-ahead invasion story." Morgan appears to be out, as producers are currently looking for a new writer, and Wiseman is expected to go too.

Specific reasons for the changes weren't provided, although as the report notes, the nature of videogames can become a "complicating factor" as development moves forward because much of what made them popular properties in the first place can't be translated to the big screen. It's quite possible that New Line Cinema [http://www.newline.com/], the studio behind the film, looked at the history of videogame movies and decided that a cheap, quick-and-dirty approach would have a better chance of turning a profit than a full-out summer blockbuster. Whatever the case, it sounds like gamers are going to have to wait awhile longer for their great silver screen experience.

Source: LA Times [http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/movies/2010/04/gears-of-war-len-wiseman-delayed.html]


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PedroSteckecilo

Mexican Fugitive
Feb 7, 2008
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Cheer up Gears fans,

If Prince of Persia does well this summer they MIGHT decide that a big budget blockbuster is the way to go instead.
 

xHipaboo420x

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Apr 22, 2009
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This is the problem, really. A half-arsed effort will only glean half-arsed results, thus continuing the awful trend. The big companies need to realise that the reason game movies haven't made incredible profits so far is because they were largely awful, not because of some bizarre stigma associated with it.

What we need is a nice big game IP with full studio support and genuine talent on board; that'll break the seal of the bigwigs getting properly behind videogame adaptations.
 

Jack and Calumon

Digimon are cool.
Dec 29, 2008
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Big Franchises don't get movies. Explain the Halo Movie, Metal Gear movie and the Bioshock movie. All of them have failed.

Calumon: I want a new Digimon movie. :mad:
 

Jared

The British Paladin
Jul 14, 2009
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Well that sucks. Looks like all will be is a movie for idiots.

Can't say I'm too surprised, video game movies have never seemed to generate the intrest large enough to justify huge budgets
 

Lord Beautiful

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Aug 13, 2008
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Turn a profit by making a markedly shittier product?

...

Why, I don't see anything wrong with that plan! No, siree! Call Microsoft and tell them to give their next big console the Wii's graphical capabilities!
 

Spinozaad

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Jun 16, 2008
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It would have sucked anyway. At least now they'll have an excuse when nobody goes to see it, and critics rip it a new one.
 

JEBWrench

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Apr 23, 2009
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Makes sense. Why spend that much money on a film adaptation of a game?

Game stories do not make good movie stories.
 

Plinglebob

Team Stupid-Face
Nov 11, 2008
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Booze Zombie said:
This is gonna tank, hard.
While the film itself will probably be crap, I doubt it will tank if they do a 1/2 decent job advertising it. Gears of War has a lot of fans outside of the traditional gamers other gaming films were made for and if they get those people going, it could make a decent amount. Remember, a shit film can do well at the box office (see Transformers 2 for an example. Actually, DONT!)
 

Booze Zombie

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Dec 8, 2007
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Plinglebob said:
Remember, a shit film can do well at the box office (see Transformers 2 for an example. Actually, DONT!)
If they've cut back the money they had like they've said, even trying to advertise it half-decently will be nearly impossible.

I stand by my statement, even if it turns out to be inaccurate.
 

The Great JT

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Oct 6, 2008
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PedroSteckecilo said:
Cheer up Gears fans,

If Prince of Persia does well this summer they MIGHT decide that a big budget blockbuster is the way to go instead.
Until they realize it's a video game movie and they all suck always suck. Even guilty pleasures like the Super Mario Bros. and Mortal Kombat suck.
 

scnj

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Nov 10, 2008
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That's fine. Now hire Neill Blomkamp and he'll turn that budget into something magic.

Or even Duncan Jones. Granted, Moon wasn't exactly action heavy, but he knows how to work a small budget.
 

duchaked

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Dec 25, 2008
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ah man...

my co-op buds and I have been looking forward to it since we finished Gears 2 late 08 =/
 

hansari

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May 31, 2009
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MaxChaos said:
What we need is a nice big game IP with full studio support and genuine talent on board; that'll break the seal of the bigwigs getting properly behind videogame adaptations.
Lara Croft?
 

AboveUp

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May 21, 2008
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-Zen- said:
Turn a profit by making a markedly shittier product?

...

Why, I don't see anything wrong with that plan! No, siree! Call Microsoft and tell them to give their next big console the Wii's graphical capabilities!
You pretty much nailed it with this post, Zen.

Not that all low budget movies are bad, just look at Dr. Horrible and the first Clerks. But something like a Gears movie would need a gigantic budget so it can become a giant over-the-top adrenaline injection in movie form. There's nothing wrong with that, because that'd be exactly what kind of movie this needs to be.

I can't imagine the scope being made smaller and what the difference would be between a regular invasion story and Gears' story is though. I found it to be a small typical invasion story myself. Then again, I didn't enjoy Gears of War all too much, so I should probably just shut up before the fanboys chainsaw me to death.