Another classic video game is getting the movie treatment: Ubisoft’s 2003 cult favorite “Beyond Good and Evil,” with “Pokemon: Detective Pikachu” director Rob Letterman attached to direct at Netflix, two individuals with knowledge of the project told TheWrap.
The film will be a hybrid of live action and animation, and Netflix is currently in early development on the project.
Released in 2003, “Beyond Good and Evil” is a sci-fi action and adventure game set in the year 2435. The story follows Jade, a young photojournalist who searches for the truth about an ongoing war and an alien threat on her remote home planet, suspecting that military leaders may be collaborating with the aliens.
“We’re excited to work with Netflix on the ‘Beyond Good and Evil’ feature film and we look forward to sharing more in the future,” Ubisoft Film and Television said in a statement to TheWrap.
Created by “Rayman” creator Michel Ancel, was a commercial failure upon its release in 2003 and plans for a sequel were scrapped. But it acquired a dedicated cult following and has since been recognized for its innovative animation style, story and setting. “Beyond Good and Evil” has since been restored in HD in 2011 and at E3 2017 it was announced that a prequel is in development.
Letterman is known for “Goosebumps,” “Shark Tale” and most recently “Pokemon: Detective Pikachu,” which $433 million worldwide on a $150 million budget.
Video game adaptations have been all the rage of late following the box office success of not just Letterman’s “Detective Pikachu” but also “Sonic the Hedgehog.” Both of those properties are getting sequels, but other popular or cult favorite games with film or series adaptations in the works in recent months include “Disco Elysium,” “The Last of Us” and “Borderlands,” with others like “Uncharted” and “Monster Hunter” still on the horizon.
Letterman is represented by UTA and attorney Eric Sherman at Ziffren Brittenham.
THR first reported the news of the project.
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