Metroid: Movie

[Zeithri]

Yes! It's finaly annonuced!

"John Woo has optioned Nintendo's best-selling video game franchise "Metroid" for the big screen. It's the latest move demonstrating the director's commitment to interactive entertainment properties because it comes as Woo is developing three original titles at his Tiger Hill video game studio using Hollywood talent.

Woo will produce the sci-fi movie and has the option to direct. Terence Chang and Brad Foxhoven will share production responsibilities. Lion Rock Prods.' Suzanne Zizzi also is attached to the project.


Foxhoven said the plan is to release the first film before 2006. "Everyone involved is looking at this as a big-budget picture," Foxhoven said. "We see a tremendous opportunity to launch a film franchise with Nintendo as a partner."

Nintendo's "Metroid" has appeared in various incarnations since its introduction in 1986, with cumulative worldwide sales of 10 million-12 million. Each gives fans the chance to experience the suspense, mystery and excitement of space exploration.

"We are very fortunate that there is such an extensive amount of material to draw upon for the film due to there being so many iterations of the game over the years," Woo said.

The movie will center on the origins of the game's female protagonist, sexy bounty hunter Samus Aran, and relate her adventures battling the insidious life-sucking Metroids and their controlling force, Mother Brain.

"We have to assume the mainstream audience is unfamiliar with the property," Foxhoven said. "As for the rest of the film, we will stay true to the game and have Samus battling the Metroids and Mother Brain in a fight for control of the galaxy."

Chang emphasized that the popularity of these video games not only provides great source material for the film but helps with the awareness factor when the film is distributed overseas.

"Gaming is huge in both Europe and Japan and is starting to gain momentum in China -- so we are not only going to see interest domestically but also on a worldwide basis for these films," Chang said. "These properties are really going mainstream."

Woo added: "This type of story has a proven track record of success with film audiences."

This is the second attempt to bring Samus to the big screen. Warren Zide and Craig Perry of Zide/Perry Entertainment optioned the film rights for "Metroid" in January 2003 but let them expire. Tiger Hill stepped in and optioned the movie from Nintendo when it became available again.

Nintendo will unveil its eighth "Metroid" game, "Metroid Prime 2," at its E3 press conference May 11. As is typical of the video game industry, the company will be distributing limited versions of the game (referred to as a playable demo) to select industry professionals before the game ships for the GameCube platform in November.

The first "Metroid" product was on the now-defunct Nintendo Entertainment System. Realizing the value of owning such a recognizable brand, Nintendo relaunched the "Metroid" franchise with the high-profile release of "Metroid Prime" in November 2002 on its GameCube platform. Other titles, all of which have been best sellers, maintained the franchise's reputation for impressive 3-D graphics and engrossing battle scenes.

Tiger Hill is overseeing development of three original games, the first of which will ship in late 2005, with the remaining two hitting shelves in late 2006. Woo will direct the games' cinematics, oversee the story and voice talent, supervise motion capture and manage the character designs.

"We are bringing in top-notch Hollywood talent to our games due to John's influence and connections," Foxhoven said. Referring to "Max Payne" and "The Getaway," among others, he added, "Many games have already borrowed from John's films, so it was a natural progression for John to work on video games himself."

Tiger Hill has a multiyear first-look deal with Sega and is developing a game for the publisher but also is developing at least one additional game for another publisher. Details on two of the games are expected to be unveiled at E3.

Woo is repped by Endeavor."


Isn't this awe-cool?

The article was found on; [ulr]http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/film/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000480930[/url]

Also check out; norfairdepths.com.indigo.alphamegahosting.com/metroid_movie.htm

[dracula]

hmm, could be pretty good. I always metroid it like alien and aliens with sigourney weaver.

[Zeithri]

Yes ofcourse, but Metroid is better
And Metroids are cooler the Xenonmorphs!

[Adol.Christin]

I hope they make something good from the formula, they have the right people at the right places...and now for the guys: "Who should play Samus Aran?"

ps: for dumb people, the character you play with in metroid is a buitifull girl named Samus Aran ^^

[Zeithri]

Hahha, your right Adol.
But in Metroid: Zero Mission, she is too "bimbo" like

[Adol.Christin]

don't tell me you dind't play metroid on the NES? eversince I have been a fan of the series and I have played every one of them and finished them 100% (Metroid Prime on NGC was hard to finish 100%), now I'm waiting for Metroid Prime 2: Echoes (has got multiplayer:)) and the movie, ofcourse

but how a bout the woman who play's "Seven of Nine" in the Star Trek: Voyager series? I could see her as Samus ^^

[Zeithri]

NO NNO NO NOOOOOO!

I do not like 7-of-9 because she is a BAD ACTRESSin my oppinion...

Yes, I've played Metroid, In fact, the first game I ever played on a NES was Metroid.

[Adol.Christin]

I was more going for the looks then the acting...I read somewhere that they would like to see Lucy Liu or Uma Thurman to be Samus that would be bad. I also read about Rebecca Romein and the tomb raider girl to be Samus Aran...that would be just awefull, do you have anyone that could be samus?

why do you talk about zero mission then? it was fun to play metroid 1 again, but I prefer a totally new game. I read somewhere aboud Metroid Fusion 2 on GBA or Nintendo DS (new handheld by Nintendo, duh )

[Zeithri]

No offense to the game itself, but she is to much blond and bit *piip* in Metroid: Zero Mission then the other parts. But I think they should have inserted a "Just-in Bailey" cheat in M:ZM to. The funniest in that game is the infiltration assignment (if we can call it that) where all the space pirets will hunt you almost everywhere.

Ugh, Lucy Liu is a fine looking lady but as Samus? Noway, and Uma Thurman, isn't she that old hag that has the star in the movie "Hallween" with that Jason-clone Michael? (Jason rocks! Alothers, go to hell!)

I dunno, nobody can be Samus exept an A.I. in my oppinon

[Adol.Christin]

Uma Thurman is the girl in Kill Bill and almost all other Quitin Tarentino movies ...and the justin bailey code works in M: ZM mission too but is better in the original

[Zeithri]

I hate "Kill Bill", it's such a BAD MOVIE. I can't even stand the comercials where Darryl Hannah always, ALWAYS says "oohhh I'm going to fuck bill" (note kill, not fuck, just say so to show my hate against the movie)

[Adol.Christin]

over here the trailers were cooler, and I liked it a lot because Production IG (from Ghost in the Shell) made an anime part for the movie ...

[Adol.Christin]

SHE is gonna play samus? no way! she's not the samus of my dreams....

[CrazyJo82]

7of9 character from Voyager is JERI RYAN - when ST:V ended, she jumped right into Boston Public. She is not that bad of an actress and Samus might be a suitable roll (probably because of the sci-fi background).

Tomb Raider girl is a very hot and sexy Angelina Jolie - she would definitely fit the physic of Samus. Although, I heard she might take a few years off to raise her adopted son, Maddox

Lucy Liu - sorry... too Chinesie... lol I cannot picture a Chinese/Asian actress in this roll...

Uma Thurman - isn't she like 50 years old??

I've only played a bit of metroid on GC and I did finish Metroid Fushion for GBA but I don't think I've ever gotten a good look at what Samus looks like (darn those helmets!)

The only problem I would have with Metroid movie is the poor script it might bet. Tomb Raider wasn't very good. If it were not for Jolie, no one would have cared for it. Tomb Raider 2 was actually pretty good.

Don't know if anyone plays Thief. It's a great first person sneaker and I read about this game being on the big screen...

Back on topic... for someone to play Samus, I think it's someone who looks like they can put up a fight (and not like Buffy ), a great physic, will probably have a height of at least 5'8, and somewhere between 27 - 34 years of age. Otherwise, it wont be believable.

[Zeithri]

Let's hope so CrazyJo82, for the sake of all Metroid fans.
But I hope it's note a bimbo running around screaming "oh, look at me!", we got plenty of those already at my school and they are soooo distrubing..

Well, John Woo said that he is going to be true to the games story and closly follow that to, but my guess is that they have to add something more to it. But I for godssake hope that they don't add a love story or some other similiar (excuse my sweering) bullshit...

By the way, Samus without a suit is a good-looking, girl. I've seen better But I hate how bimbo they made her look in MZM , that's a punch below the zipper

[FM-77AV]

Well, actually, you get to see her face in Metroid Prime (through the visor, though). You MIGHT get to see her when you finish the game, I haven't though, so I wouldn't know..

[Zeithri]

It's unlockable, Seldane. Complete the game as fast you can and she'll strip of her suit (nothing more thou, bummer )

[CrazyJo82]

Hansuke....

[Adol.Christin]

if you finished the game you can choose from no suit or the suit of metroid fusion (if you link them). if you finish metroid fusion and link it to cube metroid prime you can play metroid (NES)

[Zeithri]

Yupp, I personally thinks that the Fusion suit would be better then none.