Atari has entered into an agreement with Universal Pictures to develop film adaptations of ten of its classic video games. The partnership with production company Entertainment 360 aims to translate beloved arcade and console titles into cinematic experiences.
The slate of games slated for adaptation includes Asteroids, Adventure, Berserk, Breakout, Centipede, Crystal Castles, Millipede, Missile Command, Pong, and Yars' Revenge. The first film project under this deal will be penned by writers Matt Reilly and Carl Hampe, who are also set to produce.
Reilly reportedly initiated the negotiations with Universal by penning an original script. Guymon Casady of Entertainment 360 expressed optimism about the project, stating that the writers captured the spirit of Atari's games, which often provided players with open worlds that encouraged imagination. Casady believes the screenplay has the potential for a significant cinematic adventure.
Reilly's background includes executive roles at Warner Brothers and 20th Century Fox, and most recently, he served as executive vice president at Universal. He is currently the president of production and creative at The Arena, a film division of SNK. Hampe's credits include producing and production supervision on films such as Hellboy (2019), Jungle Cruise, and 65, though neither writer has extensive prior writing credits.
While Atari has not produced consoles in many years, the company remains active in the gaming industry. It publishes titles like Bubsy 4D and co-publishes Total Chaos. Atari's subsidiary, Digital Eclipse, is also known for producing retro game collections, including upcoming compilations for classic Barbie and Toy Story games.