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July 2, 2009

Exclusive First Look At A Scene From Asteroids: The Videogame: The Movie

thumbnail icon: Exclusive First Look At A Scene From Asteroids: The Videogame: The Movie

They're making a movie adaptation of the classic Atari videogame Asteroids? I don't even have the energy or heart to look up how many "what, was Pong already taken" jokes have been made in the on-line blogopolis today, because I'm too busy ughing to death. I'll just have to trust that it was a lot. Details on this really smart and completely surprising and uncharacteristic move on Hollywood's part:

Universal has won a four-studio bidding war to pick up the film rights to the classic Atari video game "Asteroids." Matthew Lopez will write the script for the feature adaptation, which will be produced by Lorenzo di Bonaventura.

As opposed to today's games, there is no story line or fancy world-building mythology, so the studio would be creating a plot from scratch. Universal, however, is used to that development process, as it's in the middle of doing just that for several of the Hasbro board game properties it is translating to the big screen, such as "Battleship" and "Candyland."

Um...FOUR STUDIO BIDDING WAR?

Dear Earthquake That Is Supposed To Plunge California Into The Ocean,

Where are you?

Love,
My Eyes.

Of course, the producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura is also behind what will undoubtedly be this summer's most interesting and well-made movie (perhaps of all time? Too early to tell) G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. And nothing suggests that a movie will be great like comparing it to other really brilliant, super respectable seeming projects like Battleship and Candyland.

Whatever. I'm not the President of Entertainment (yet). It's not my millions of dollars and industry-wide sense of integrity and self-respect at stake. An exclusive look at a scene from the upcoming Asteroids: The Videogame: The Movie after the jump.

INT. SPACESHIP - NIGHT(?)

CAPTAIN BRIAN stands from his captain's chair and looks out through the windshield.

CAPT. BRIAN
You know what I hate? All these asteroids!

DAVE, the ship's weapons specialist, approaches.

DAVE
Permission to fire at these asteroids, sir!

CAPT. BRIAN
Permission granted, soldier.

DAVE returns to his station and touches an illuminated screen.

DAVE
Enhance.

CAPT. BRIAN
Steady! Steady!

DAVE
Enhance.

DAVE AND CAPT. BRIAN
Pew! Pew pew! Pew pew pew pew!

Asteroids explode all around the ship. But one doesn't explode because they missed and it hits them and they explode.

CUT TO:

EXT. ARLINGTON CEMETARY - DAY

It is raining. Everyone is buried in the cemetary because of how they died.

PRESIDENT MILEY CYRUS
These men gave their lives to blow up asteroids that were floating randomly through space. [Production note: Google Miley Cyrus lyrics and insert relevant, moving Cyrus lyric here.]

A Nickelback song plays.

Fandango, you guys. Beat the lines.

Posted by Gabe at 2:00 PM in
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28 Comments

New low score!

Posted by: armyofwires profile link at 07/02/09 2:07 PM  | Reply
Score = 40 Vote up Vote down

I hope it's a film noir shot in black and white.

Posted by: etc profile link at 07/02/09 2:16 PM  | Reply
Score = 28 Vote up Vote down

Where can I sign up to volunteer for your President of Entertainment campaign? Yes we can!

Posted by: cinemama at 07/02/09 2:19 PM  | Reply
Score = 12 Vote up Vote down

hahaha...i would love if everything was all hi-tek action movie-esque inside the space ship or wherever, but everytime there is a battle, its just the old asteroids game with the music/sound fx

Posted by: drosenb profile link at 07/02/09 2:20 PM  | Reply
Score = 27 Vote up Vote down

Lorenzo di Bonaventura: Litter Lout #19

Posted by: apesofmath profile link at 07/02/09 2:20 PM  | Reply
Score = 19 Vote up Vote down

Why don't the other three studios just make movies involving asteroids that get blown up by a spaceship and not call it Asteroids? Considering THERE IS NO PLOT it's gotta be kinda hard to sue someone for stealing the idea "Spaceship shoots asteroids"

Posted by: Alex profile link at 07/02/09 2:29 PM  | Reply
Score = 25 Vote up Vote down

And yet I can't sell my treatment of "Berzerk!" I even have Lorenzo Lamas on board to play the bouncing smiley-face guy.

Posted by: El Bombastico profile link at 07/02/09 2:29 PM  | Reply
Score = 4 Vote up Vote down

evil otto.

Posted by: matt  in reply to  El Bombastico's comment at 07/02/09 3:29 PM  | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

meh, i'll wait for the "crystal castles" movie

Posted by: ICEBERG profile link at 07/02/09 2:40 PM  | Reply
Score = 5 Vote up Vote down

Am I the only one that thinks Battleship and Candyland movies are even more ugh-worthy than Asteroids? At least Asteroids has lazers and space.

Posted by: Jon at 07/02/09 3:02 PM  | Reply
Score = 13 Vote up Vote down

I'm more excited for the movie adaptation of the time that LeVar Burton was sitting on a couch in his home and was thinking about the dinner he had just eaten.

Posted by: orlemonde profile link at 07/02/09 3:05 PM  | Reply
Score = 16 Vote up Vote down

"Some Will Rise. Others Will Fall." - Chutes and Ladders - 2010

Posted by: Bored Games at 07/02/09 3:14 PM  | Reply
Score = 75 Vote up Vote down

Congo Bongo: "It's a jungle out there!"
Yars' Revenge: "Just remember... If you can shoot in, they can shoot out."
Combat: "War is hell."

Posted by: sen_tankerbell profile link  in reply to  Bored Games's comment at 07/02/09 3:37 PM  | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

Candyland: The Movie? Yes!!!

The real question now is WHO WILL PLAY GLOOPY??

Posted by: chris profile link at 07/02/09 3:42 PM  | Reply
Score = 2 Vote up Vote down

I'm holding out for Q-Bert.

Posted by: Detroit Dutchgirl profile link at 07/02/09 4:10 PM  | Reply
Score = 1 Vote up Vote down

Candyland: The Movie? Yes!!!

The real question now is WHO WILL PLAY GLOOPY??

Posted by: chris profile link at 07/02/09 4:13 PM  | Reply
Score = -2 Vote up Vote down

Why, Gwyneth Paltrow of course.

Posted by: dude profile link  in reply to  chris's comment at 07/02/09 4:33 PM  | Reply
Score = 13 Vote up Vote down

I believe his name is GLOPPY.

Posted by: boo  in reply to  chris's comment at 07/02/09 5:20 PM  | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

I'm holding out for Q-Bert.

Posted by: Detroit Dutchgirl profile link at 07/02/09 4:13 PM  | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

Candyland: The Movie? Yes!!!

The real question now is WHO WILL PLAY GLOOPY??

Posted by: chris profile link at 07/02/09 4:14 PM  | Reply
Score = -2 Vote up Vote down

"NOM NOM NOM" - Hungry Hungry Hippos - 2012

Posted by: Bored Games at 07/02/09 4:22 PM  | Reply
Score = 13 Vote up Vote down

I got a two liter of Shasta and my all Rush mixtape - lets do this!

Posted by: dude profile link at 07/02/09 4:33 PM  | Reply
Score = 11 Vote up Vote down

Why, Gwyneth Paltrow of course.

Posted by: dude profile link at 07/02/09 4:35 PM  | Reply
Score = 2 Vote up Vote down

Haha! Hollywood might as well make Super Mario Brothers into a mov - oh. Wait. Nevermind.

Posted by: Blondie profile link at 07/02/09 5:00 PM  | Reply
Score = 7 Vote up Vote down

Hollywood - Where my childhood goes to :(

Posted by: Ginger Ball Z profile link at 07/02/09 5:01 PM  | Reply
Score = 6 Vote up Vote down

Asteroids vs. Tempest: A Vector Adventure

Posted by: Blucheez profile link at 07/02/09 5:32 PM  | Reply
Score = 1 Vote up Vote down

Asteroids vs. Tempest: A Vector Adventure

Posted by: Blucheez profile link at 07/02/09 5:33 PM  | Reply
Score = -2 Vote up Vote down

Wait a second. A little triangular ship traveling through an asteroid field shooting asteroids and periodically being shot by a fast moving little round ship? Anyone else think this is just a rip off of 'The Empire Stikes Back'?

Posted by: Zayin_451 profile link at 07/02/09 9:54 PM  | Reply
Score = 4 Vote up Vote down

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