By DreamWorks recently picked up the rights to adapt one of EA’s best-selling racing game franchises, Need for Speed. John Gatins (of Real Steel and Coach Carter) and his brother George developed an original story, with George primarily working on the screenplay. Given that the games primarily focus on street racing, drag racing, and running from cops (or pursuing vehicles as cops), the story may be slightly familiar. John Gatins is also set to produce, along with EA and unknown rich guy Mark Sourian. Scott Waugh, who directed Act of Valor and has been a stuntman since 1988, is set to direct the adaptation, so it will probably have lots of cool explodey parts.
I’ve only played Need for Speed: Underground, and enjoyed making horribly gaudy cars crash into things. I don’t imagine that a movie made from the franchise will be terribly original in a saturated market, but it could be a lot of fun if it focuses less on the characters and more, professionally speaking, on the vroom-vrooms and ka-booms.
[Via Deadline]