Atari has entered into a significant agreement with Universal Pictures, granting the studio the rights to adapt 10 of the company's most recognizable video game titles into films. The deal, brokered in partnership with management and production company Entertainment 360, aims to bring Atari's classic games to the big screen in a "big-scale action-adventure" format. This collaboration marks a new chapter for the enduring gaming brand as it ventures into new media.
Games slated for potential adaptation include fan favorites and historical cornerstones such as Asteroids, Adventure, Berzerk, Breakout, Centipede, Crystal Castles, Millipede, Missile Command, Pong, and Yars’ Revenge. "For more than five decades, Atari has created games and worlds that have remained part of popular culture long after their original release," stated Atari chairman and CEO Wade Rosen. "We are excited to work with Universal and Entertainment 360 to bring the spirit of our iconic brand and games to a new medium."
Producers from Entertainment 360 expressed enthusiasm for the project, noting the inherent imaginative potential within Atari's games. "The best Atari games dropped you into a world and let your imagination do the rest," said Guymon Casady, a producer on the first film expected from the deal. "[Screenplay writers Carl Hampe and Matt Reilly] saw an opportunity to take that same spirit and build an original, large-scale adventure around it."
This is not the first time Atari properties have been eyed for film adaptations. Previous projects based on Missile Command and Centipede were announced in 2016, and an Asteroids film was picked up by Universal in 2009, though their outcomes remain unclear. Atari itself has seen a resurgence in recent years, marked by strategic acquisitions, new game releases, and a pivot away from cryptocurrency ventures, suggesting a renewed focus on its core legacy.
The ambition to transform foundational video game concepts into blockbuster films echoes past Hollywood endeavors, with the creative team confident in their ability to translate the essence of these classic titles into compelling cinematic experiences. "From the moment we read the screenplay, we believed there was a great movie here," Casady added.