14 DAY TRIAL // The Gears of War franchise of video games has gathered a huge number of fans all around the world. Even though the two titles didn't have some of the most original stories in the gaming medium, they still managed to get a cult-like following, which is why Epic Games has contracted director Len Wiseman, who worked on Live Free or Die Hard, and writer Chris Morgan, who collaborated on Wanted, to make a movie based on the games.
We've already heard about the fact that former wrestler Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson might not play lead character Marcus Fenix, but it seems that Wiseman already has someone in mind for the part of Maria, the wife of Dominic Santiago, Marcus' best friend. Apparently he is definitely thinking about casting his own real-life wife in that role: “If I can convince Kate Beckinsale – and I think I have a shot – I'd love to see that.”
But besides news about the casting, the plot of the movie was also revealed, and it seems that it will cover the events of Emergence Day, which is the moment the enemy Locusts came up from the underground of the planet Sera and started to wage war against the humans on its surface. This has been a central point for the games, but the action took place long after those events, making it a great reason for fans to see it.
While Wiseman said that gamers’ wishes would be respected, he and the producer, Rod Ferguson, said that their primary goal was to make a great movie experience for fans and non-fans alike. “You can be too tied to what is the game,” Ferguson said. “We're so oriented at grabbing the gaming audience, we don't leave behind what shouldn't be in the movie. We're about making the best movie possible, not about making Gears of War the game into a movie.”
The three executives also said that the tone of the film would be tricky to nail, as most video game adaptations were childish and disrespectful to those who hadn't played the game in the first place. “The tone of the characters and how they interact with each other [leads to] the overall experience of the movie. Look at Aliens in terms of the dark environment, but then how much fun you have with the characters.” Morgan then added that: “Even though the world is literally at an end, they still joke. They have real emotion and compassion.”
In the end, don't go thinking that Gears of War will be one special effects festival, as Wiseman emphasized that character development would play an important role. “It's a balance. I approach it from story and character first. The spectacle is going to be there… but that's not what I care about first. I really want to see all that action but only if you're onboard with who's taking you through that spectacle.”
On the whole, it seems that the team in charge of this project will definitely try their best to give both Gears of War fans and movie goers a great overall experience. No firm release date was revealed, but we should look forward to it in late 2010 or 2011.