A film adaptation of the hugely popular videogame franchise Need for Speed has been announced.
Brothers George and John Gatins are developing an original story based on the games for the DreamWorks picture which is to be directed by Scott Waugh (Act of Valor).
“This is a big piece of business for DreamWorks,” says DreamWorks Chairman Steven Spielberg.
“I'm excited about getting back into the creative trenches with John and George Gatins and my partners at EA to bring to life an exhilarating script based on an epic videogame that seems to have been made for the movies.”
The announcement, released jointly by DreamWorks and EA, describes the film as “a fast-paced, high-octane film rooted in the tradition of the great car culture films of the 70s while being extremely faithful to the spirit of the video game franchise. In Need for Speed, the cars are hot, the racing is intense and the story keeps players at the edge of their seat.”
Need for Speed has sold more than 140 million game units worldwide, generating an estimated US$4 billion in retail revenue and making it one of the biggest franchises in gaming.
Need for Speed serves as a reunion with both George Gatins and John Gatins with DreamWorks. George was an executive producer on the studio’s 2010 film She’s Out of My League while John’s previous projects with DreamWorks include the 2005 film Dreamer which he wrote and directed. He also wrote the script for last year’s Real Steel and has been working on the script for its sequel.
Need for Speed the film, which is not based on any specific Need for Speed game, will be fast-tracked at DreamWorks with a target production start date for early next year and a 2014 release.
3 News