Film giants, Lionsgate, are set to shake up the zombie horror genre with their big screen adaptation of the recently released Dead Island.
Like the rest of the world they were also astounded by the initial trailer for the game, it offered a much more emotional approach to this style of game than had previously been seen. It was easily one of the best game trailers around, being both visually stunning and emotionally striking and it’s this tone that Lionsgate want to re-create with their adaptation. In case you missed the original, or just want to watch it again, here’s the original trailer in all it’s glory;
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“This is exactly the type of property we’re looking to adapt at Lionsgate – it’s sophisticated, edgy, and a true elevation of a genre that we know and love. It also has built in brand recognition around the world, and franchise potential.”
The film looks set to take on Dead Island’s approach of using human connections as a focal point rather than taking the obvious gore option as is often the case with the horror genre. This isn’t an unheard of tactic with the indie hit ’28 Days Later’ being a huge success for it’s narrative choices. Even on the smaller screen this type of approach is proving to be a favorite with the fans, you only have to consider the success of ‘The Walking Dead’ to appreciate the potential audience.
It’s only early days yet, with the film still being in the earliest stages of development, but it already has some impressive names attached to it. Sean Daniels (The Mummy, Tombstone, Dazed and Confused) is set to produce along with Stefan Sonnenfield, a veteran in the field of post-production.
Game-film adaptations are becoming almost commonplace lately, with game studio’s like Ubisoft taking to the idea with enthusiasm. Gone are the days when a game adaptation is something we’d rather forget (think Street Fighter 2 and Mario). With major studios picking up the wealth of material that the games industry can offer we could very well be seeing more of our favourite game heroes on the silver screen. Lionsgate are setting a good president with their serious and eager approach to the title, something that could well be a future standard.
