The movie rights to Dead Island, Techland and Deep Silver's tropical zombie nightmare game, have been haggled over for either months, or years, depending on who you ask. Studio interest peaked when the publisher put out that now infamous teaser trailer of a CG family becoming zombie brunch in backward slow-motion, but rights disputes going back long before that trailer's conception have muddied the waters, seemingly preventing us, the game-loving masochists who actually watch movies based on video games, from seeing a 90 minute version of that trailer starring real actors.

However, according to Deadline, the dust has finally settled on that rights dispute, and Lionsgate has come out on top. Lionsgate has more than its share of popular horror franchises under its banner, including Saw, Hostel, and The Last Exorcism. It also produced the Oscar Best Picture winner Crash, for whatever that's worth.

While the story simply states that the rights were acquired for Dead Island, the quote from Lionsgate rep Joe Drake lends a good bit of credence to the theory that the only reason they care about this thing is because of that trailer, which became such a massive viral sensation overnight.

“Like the hundreds of journalists and millions of fans who were so passionate and vocal about the Dead Island trailer, we too were awestruck,” said Lionsgate’s Joe Drake. “This is exactly the type of property we’re looking to adapt at Lionsgate: it’s sophisticated, edgy, and a true elevation of a genre that we know and love. It also has built in brand recognition around the world, and franchise potential.”

There you have it. Get ready for Night of the Living Dead meets Memento meets National Lampoon's Vacation. Actually, come to think of it, that doesn't sound half bad...

The movie rights to Dead Island, Techland and Deep Silver's tropical zombie nightmare game, have been haggled over for either months, or years, depending on who you ask. Studio interest peaked when the publisher put out that now infamous teaser trailer of a CG family becoming zombie brunch in backward slow-motion, but rights disputes going back long before that trailer's conception have muddied the waters, seemingly preventing us, the game-loving masochists who actually watch movies based on video games, from seeing a 90 minute version of that trailer starring real actors.

However, according to Deadline, the dust has finally settled on that rights dispute, and Lionsgate has come out on top. Lionsgate has more than its share of popular horror franchises under its banner, including Saw, Hostel, and The Last Exorcism. It also produced the Oscar Best Picture winner Crash, for whatever that's worth.

While the story simply states that the rights were acquired for Dead Island, the quote from Lionsgate rep Joe Drake lends a good bit of credence to the theory that the only reason they care about this thing is because of that trailer, which became such a massive viral sensation overnight.

“Like the hundreds of journalists and millions of fans who were so passionate and vocal about the Dead Island trailer, we too were awestruck,” said Lionsgate’s Joe Drake. “This is exactly the type of property we’re looking to adapt at Lionsgate: it’s sophisticated, edgy, and a true elevation of a genre that we know and love. It also has built in brand recognition around the world, and franchise potential.”

There you have it. Get ready for Night of the Living Dead meets Memento meets National Lampoon's Vacation. Actually, come to think of it, that doesn't sound half bad...

Good enough.

Convoluted to all hell.

I hope the entire movie is in reverse.

Cool could be good.

“This is exactly the type of property we’re looking to adapt at Lionsgate: it’s sophisticated, edgy, and a true elevation of a genre that we know and love. It also has built in brand recognition around the world, and franchise potential.”

"franchise potential."

Yay, another franchise to milk! I was thinking there'd never be another video game franchise to wring dry of any vitality it had to start. Thank you, Lionsgate Film.

Inb4 truck jokes

Rifling Through Luggage : The Movie.

Hey, I wish the red tru-

@smitty86 said:

Inb4 truck jokes

Oh, fuck.

Sponsored by Toyota.

Theres absolutely no reason for this to be a movie. A Deus Ex movie yes, a Demons Souls movie yes, Gears movie yeah sure! An island with zombies and a ton of killing and snippets of plot turned into a full fledged movie production? I'll just watch 28 Weeks later or something.

So, will the movie only have 10 zombies on-screen at once? Will we have to sit through 90 minutes of people going through bags? Will we have to watch someone go on the incredible adventure of looking for a teddy?!

Damn it, I hope so.

@manthorp said:

I hope the entire movie is in reverse.

This ^

Oh, THANK GOD there can finally be a movie about zombies!

@Humanity said:

Theres absolutely no reason for this to be a movie. A Deus Ex movie yes, a Demons Souls movie yes, Gears movie yeah sure! An island with zombies and a ton of killing and snippets of plot turned into a full fledged movie production? I'll just watch 28 Weeks later or something.

Guys, a zombie movie already exists. So cut it out.

Oh, Hollywood...

@manthorp said:

I hope the entire movie is in reverse.

Memento style would work and I think it would be the first in that genre.. I'd watch it.

Hopefully this will make it more like what those people expecting the trailer happy now.

It'd be funny if the movie got stuck in development hell for several years only to come out less similar to the trailer and more similar to the actual game.

I'm expecting lots of zombie cameltoe.

So how is this going to work?

@manthorp said:

I hope the entire movie is in reverse.

Hey not a bad idea.

@ryanwho said:

@Humanity said:

Theres absolutely no reason for this to be a movie. A Deus Ex movie yes, a Demons Souls movie yes, Gears movie yeah sure! An island with zombies and a ton of killing and snippets of plot turned into a full fledged movie production? I'll just watch 28 Weeks later or something.

Guys, a zombie movie already exists. So cut it out.

My comment is more along the lines of: with so many great IP's out there with fully fleshed out worlds and stories, why would anyone bother transforming this game into a movie apart from 'hey people like Zombies'

The trailer itself was perfect. Why bother extending that when the concept has already been done properly; just because a piece of media is 2-3 minutes doesn't mean it can't stand by itself.

@SeriouslyNow said:

Rifling Through Luggage : The Movie.

Derp.

Could be something, right?

I'll watch it only if they have a scene where Sam B performs "Who Do You Voodoo." in reverse.

@metalsnakezero said:

So how is this going to work?

@manthorp said:

I hope the entire movie is in reverse.

Hey not a bad idea.

Memento: The Zombie Edition

@Cincaid said:

@metalsnakezero said:

So how is this going to work?

@manthorp said:

I hope the entire movie is in reverse.

Hey not a bad idea.

Memento: The Zombie Edition

Remember Sammy Jenkins

*sigh*

@Cincaid said:

@metalsnakezero said:

So how is this going to work?

@manthorp said:

I hope the entire movie is in reverse.

Hey not a bad idea.

Memento: The Zombie Edition

Sounds like a movie that requires a lot of brains from the viewers.

It's gonna suck, I called it here first people.

DAMN YOU MICKEY ROONEY!!!

Hope the entire film is in slow motion.

Making a 3 minute trailer 30 times longer?

They might be able to build a story around it if they have good writers. One would hope that the effects are good as well. We'll see.

Gross.

@Humanity said:

@ryanwho said:

@Humanity said:

Theres absolutely no reason for this to be a movie. A Deus Ex movie yes, a Demons Souls movie yes, Gears movie yeah sure! An island with zombies and a ton of killing and snippets of plot turned into a full fledged movie production? I'll just watch 28 Weeks later or something.

Guys, a zombie movie already exists. So cut it out.

My comment is more along the lines of: with so many great IP's out there with fully fleshed out worlds and stories, why would anyone bother transforming this game into a movie apart from 'hey people like Zombies'

Hollywood would ruin Demon's Souls.

Alex, the first paragraph of this article is really hard to read! Too many tangents and comma's!

I would watch it.

@Axxol said:

@Humanity said:

@ryanwho said:

@Humanity said:

Theres absolutely no reason for this to be a movie. A Deus Ex movie yes, a Demons Souls movie yes, Gears movie yeah sure! An island with zombies and a ton of killing and snippets of plot turned into a full fledged movie production? I'll just watch 28 Weeks later or something.

Guys, a zombie movie already exists. So cut it out.

My comment is more along the lines of: with so many great IP's out there with fully fleshed out worlds and stories, why would anyone bother transforming this game into a movie apart from 'hey people like Zombies'

Hollywood would ruin Demon's Souls.

I think this film's greenlight has everything to do with the response of the "trailer" (short film) and almost nothing to do with the contents of the game itself. I don't think its as simple as "hey people like zombies" but more "hey people like this trailer".

You know, because movies based on video games are always successful.

Yay more zombies. I myself is going to make Ghost Truck: The Movie

Rifling Through Luggage : The Movie.

Memento didn't really invent reversed footage. It didn't even use reversed footage.

Also lots of rights get acquired. I guess less so in video games, but still.

This whole thing sounds really stupid.

Standard Zombie Movie: The Game: The Movie

Unless a truck is spasing out by being stuck I don't care.

I hear if you watch this movie alone it's simply not enjoyable.

I hear you have to watch the movie correctly or its super clunky.

Well, I saw this coming the moment I saw that trailer. Where there are zombies, there is money.