Universal Musters ‘Army of Two’ in EA Deal
Electronic Arts and Universal Pictures have struck a deal to turn EA’s “Army of Two” video game into a big screen experience.
The deal is almost certain to be mutually beneficial: “Army of Two” has been a top-seller for EA, grossing $100 million since its introduction in March. EA currently has a similar project in the works, developing a film version of “The Sims” with 20th Century Fox.
EA also aims to land TV rights for “Army of Two.” Patrick O’Brien, vice president of EA Entertainment, said, “Our goal is to be in business with the highest level artists and producers as we adapt exciting games such as ‘Army Of Two’ into compelling film and television entertainment,” in a statement.
“Army of Two,” as the name suggests, involves a dynamic military duo: Rios and Salem, veteran Army Rangers who become mercenaries on missions that threaten the future of the planet. The Rambo dudes face a series of missions that threaten the planet, and promises to reproduce as the kind of explosively artistic special effects shoot-‘em-up that will draw fans of the game.
The game is likely to get a significant sales bump as the movie makes it even more of a pop phenomenon. And the prospect of an animated TV series would appear to be promising based on the additional platform exposure the content brand gets.
Stuber Productions will co-produce the movie with EA for Universal with Scott Burns, screenwriter of “The Bourne Ultimatum” has been signed on.
No release date has been set. The value of the rights deal was not revealed.
