The latest video game getting a big-screen adaptation is Avalanche Studios/Eidos Interactive’s ‘Just Cause’, which will hail from Constantin Film and Prime Universe Films. Michael Dowse (‘Stuber’, ‘Coffee & Kareem’) will direct from a script by Derek Kolstad, who wrote the first two ‘John Wick’ movies and co-wrote the third, and was a staff writer on Disney+’s ‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’. He also came up with the story for the upcoming Quibi series ‘Die Hart’ starring Kevin Hart and John Travolta.
‘Just Cause’ is an open-world adventure game which also incorporates elements from third-person shooters and racing games. The main character is Rico “The Scorpion” Rodriguez, an agent of a secret government agency, referred to only as “the Agency.” Each game in the series sends Rodriguez to free an island nation from evil drug lords/terrorists/mercenaries, most notably, the Black Hand. Reportedly, the movie will also pit Rodriguez against the Black Hand. It is also stated that he will be accompanied by a female co-lead. The first ‘Just Cause’ game included a female agent named Maria Kane. There are various female NPCs throughout the various games.
‘Just Cause’ was previously slated to get the big-screen treatment in 2017, with Brad Peyton (‘Rampage’) directing, and Jason Momoa attached to star as Rico Rodriguez.
For years, video game movies were almost automatic flops, with only a few scattered hits here and there (like the original ‘Tomb Raider’). But in the last couple of years, ‘Detective Pikachu’ and ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ both bucked the trend to become huge hits.
‘Just Cause’ joins a small barrage of video game movies in the pipeline. ‘Without Remorse’ based on Tom Clancey’s novels, and starring Michael B. Jordan is hoped to arrive sometime this year. ‘Mortal Kombat’, produced by James Wan, has wrapped and is scheduled to be released in 2021. MGM and Warner Brothers are moving forward with a sequel to the box office disappointment ‘Tomb Raider’ (2018). Paul W.S. Anderson’s ‘Monster Hunter’ appears to be ready to go, but due to COVID-19 theater closures it just got postponed to next spring. And finally, Tom Holland has shared pictures and videos on Instagram of himself bulking up to portray Nathan Drake in ‘Uncharted’ which will co-star Mark Wahlberg as his mentor Sully, and will be directed by ‘Venom’s Ruben Fleischer. It looks as though filming is set to begin as soon as it is deemed safe.
Are you a fan of ‘Just Cause’? Are you excited that a movie is in the works?
Source: Deadline
