Properties are optioned by movie studios all the time. It doesn't always mean that the property is going to be actively developed into a film. So, when Universal Pictures picked up the rights to turn arcade classic Asteroids into a blockbuster release--overseen by Lorenzo di Bonaventura, producer of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen and G.I. Joe: The Rise Of Cobra, we all had a good laugh about the futility of adapting the story-less game into a watchable film.
 
But neither logic nor reason stand in the way of exploiting/ruining every major franchise/property to come out of the '80s, and the result is that di Bonaventura is actively talking about the development of an Asteroids property with press outlets. It can't go away and vanish into a locked file cabinet in an executive's office forever if people keep asking him about it!
 

"When I was called about the property - I was called because of what I'd done with 'Transformers' and 'G.I. Joe.' Atari reached out to me and said, 'We have Asteroids,' and I had an immediate reaction 'Yes.' 

The reason was not because playing the game, we thought somehow that game could be translated into a movie, it can't.

The word 'Asteroids' conotates a large-scale experience, so the challenge, which was great, was 'Okay, so how do you get a mythology that will support that?"

We really went after a mythology on the level of 'Star Wars' and we'll see if we succeeded or not but it's not a simple thing of the asteroids are going to hit the earth. We never come to earth. 
 
The entire movie takes place in the asteroid field.

Properties are optioned by movie studios all the time. It doesn't always mean that the property is going to be actively developed into a film. So, when Universal Pictures picked up the rights to turn arcade classic Asteroids into a blockbuster release--overseen by Lorenzo di Bonaventura, producer of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen and G.I. Joe: The Rise Of Cobra, we all had a good laugh about the futility of adapting the story-less game into a watchable film.
 
But neither logic nor reason stand in the way of exploiting/ruining every major franchise/property to come out of the '80s, and the result is that di Bonaventura is actively talking about the development of an Asteroids property with press outlets. It can't go away and vanish into a locked file cabinet in an executive's office forever if people keep asking him about it!
 

"When I was called about the property - I was called because of what I'd done with 'Transformers' and 'G.I. Joe.' Atari reached out to me and said, 'We have Asteroids,' and I had an immediate reaction 'Yes.' 

The reason was not because playing the game, we thought somehow that game could be translated into a movie, it can't.

The word 'Asteroids' conotates a large-scale experience, so the challenge, which was great, was 'Okay, so how do you get a mythology that will support that?"

We really went after a mythology on the level of 'Star Wars' and we'll see if we succeeded or not but it's not a simple thing of the asteroids are going to hit the earth. We never come to earth. 
 
The entire movie takes place in the asteroid field.

what? amazing?  ok, let's see it be amazing.
or at least make for an amazing WU-Tang later when Ryan watches it.

It'll still be better than transformers 2 and g.i.joe. 

Yes.

is you serius ?

And so I finally make a movie ticket purchase.

I'm just wondering how long into the movie we'll see a dude doing something on a radar machine  or other "terminal" that is actual an asteroids game. Or rather a clip of an asteroids game, becuse his movements won't actually match up with the screen. Maybe it's in the opening before that ship is impacted and as the player and the game float into space they have a late title card.

sorry I'm already in line for the expendables.  

Michael Cera IS Asteroids.
 
"Are you saying my brother was a traitor? My brother DIED fighting the Asteroids. "
 
"He'll never make it! No one can come out of hyperspace in a field that dense -- and survive!"
 
"This isn't a game. You think a kid with two credits to his name can survive out here?" 

It will be amazing. The type of amazing it will be is uncertain though.

Sold.

Since this article was kind of too good on it's own, I don't think I need to see anything else about it now!

I uh... wow.  
 
I think this is more impressive than anything. The disturbing part is how genuinely excited Bonaventura seems to be about working with the franchise.  

" It'll still be better than transformers 2 and g.i.joe.  "

What the FUCK am I reading? Good lord.. Sad thing is I'm probably going to watch it.

I am down with this. Sounds like a blast.

Okay, Asteroids is a stupid, stupid thing to base a movie on, but Transformers 2 is actually one of my favourite movies, so it's not entirely out of the question that the Asteroids movie will be fun to watch, if not exactly cinematic gold.

yep, next up we'll have a movie based on pong... seriously, wtf are these people smoking man?
 
also
 @Deusoma said:

" Okay, Asteroids is a stupid, stupid thing to base a movie on, but Transformers 2 is actually one of my favourite movies, so it's not entirely out of the question that the Asteroids movie will be fun to watch, if not exactly cinematic gold. "

" Okay, Asteroids is a stupid, stupid thing to base a movie on "

" sorry I'm already in line for the expendables.  

  I'll join in after I'm done here "

" yep, next up we'll have a movie based on pong... seriously, wtf are these people smoking man?
 
also
 @Deusoma said:

" Okay, Asteroids is a stupid, stupid thing to base a movie on, but Transformers 2 is actually one of my favourite movies, so it's not entirely out of the question that the Asteroids movie will be fun to watch, if not exactly cinematic gold. "

Look, don't take this the wrong way, but you really have to watch more movies, because if that garbage is what you consider one of the best you've watched, you clearly haven't watched much. "

" yep, next up we'll have a movie based on pong... "

This post needs more "motherfucker" in it to be extreme. In time padawan.

You heard it here first 
 
"After hearing that di Bonaventura snagged the rights to Asteroids and actually making a  movie out of it, Uwe Boll jumped at the chance to make another video game movie  adaptation. Reported earlier this morning, legally retarded film director Uwe Boll, picked up  the rights to Pong. We have comment from the director: 
 
"After hearing about this Asteroid movie, I had to hurry to this chance. I couldn't 
  let that idiot Michael Bay make this movie. He doesn't even understand the 
 meaning behind my movies." 
 
 Uwe Boll mentions that the movie will be set to release in August 2010.

When Atari said Asteroids, he did realize it wasn't like Halo right?  It's a game about a triangle that shoots other shapes that are the asteroids. 

I have every bit of confidence this movie could be better than the entire new trilogy.

" If they can develop a mythology about Asteroids, I shudder to think  what a Yar's Revenge movie would be like. Epic 3 film trilogy! "

I...huh?

I'd rather see more deserving media properties, such as Jungler get the big screen treatment.

As long as it includes a reference to C3P0's asteroid field line I'll be happy.
"Sir, the possibility of successfully navigating an asteroid field is approximately 3,720 to 1."
"Never tell me the odds!"

Someone kill me now.

You cant get 2 tickets for $20. Its more like $28. >_>

Where's the Breakout movie?

The best part of this article was Matt's writing style.

This only bodes well for the success of my Jungler Movie screenplay.

Sure, I'm all for it.

I just want to see the trailer for this. I want to see how they sell this to people as a good idea. Also, I want to see it mashed up with the Inception trailer.

I'm holding out for Asteroids 2, where it actually takes elements from Galaxian.

I hope the Mayan calender is actually right, because we're spent as a civilization.

Will it include vector graphics?

" I have every bit of confidence this movie could be better than the entire new trilogy. "

I'm pretty sure you could just extend out the post-Vietnam bit from Forrest Gump and get a pong film.

So, when's the Custer's Revenge movie coming out?  How about Mr. Driller?

Can't be any worse than the forthcoming Stretch Armstrong or fucking magic 8-ball movie.  *groan*