Just when you thought Hollywood had run out of ideas, what with those movies based on Marriage websites being greenlit and every board game on Earth getting optioned for screen (I'd pay to see a film about Pop-Up Pirate I think), but despair no more! Warner Bros, the studio behind The Dark Knight and Man of Steel, have just put ink on the deal to bring popular iPhone game Temple Run to theaters.
Temple Run. The Movie.
In case you didn't know, Temple Run is one of the most successful mobile games in history that doesn't have a pissed off bird in it anywhere. Designed by Imangi Studios, the "story", if there is one, is about an explorer named Guy Danger who steals an idol from an ancient TEMPLE, but finds himself chased by demons and therefore forced to RUN.
It wasn't the first "Endless Runner" game out, but it is by far the best. I actually really like Temple Run. It's entertaining as hell and just difficult enough to still be fun without doing your head in. The first version was downloaded over 100 Million times in its first year, and the upgraded Temple Run 2 did even better than that. There was also movie tie-in versions with "Brave" and "Oz: The Great and the Powerful".
You can be forgiven, however, for thinking that you've already seen Temple Run at the cinema. You have, and it was called Indiana Jones. Temple Run bites an awful lot fro the Indie pie, with one of the unlockable characters striking a clear resemblance to Harrison Ford's World's Greatest Teacher. His name is Montana Smith and he's described in the game as "The SECOND Greatest Explorer Ever."
Harry Potter producer David Heyman is the man pulling the strings on this project, with everything in the very early stages. No writer, director or anything like that, but Heyman is going to have to work very hard to stop this movie looking like The Mummy or Sahara or some other shit.
No word on whether or not Usain Bolt will reprise his role from the game.
Also greenlit for development; Candy Crush Saga directed by Ang Lee and Fruit Ninja with Jack Black as the voice of Hanada Li Fruituzuya. Probably.
