Fox feels game 'Payne'

[Laice07]

Fox feels game 'Payne'

Monday June 27 5:22 AM ET

"Max Payne," the action video game franchise about a vengeful cop, is being turned into a feature film for 20th Century Fox.

Released on PC in July 2001 and later that fall on Xbox and PlayStation 2, "Max Payne" tells the story of a New York cop whose wife and baby are killed by thugs high on a designer drug called Valkyr. Devastated, the cop joins the Drug Enforcement Agency and goes undercover with the mob to find the source of the drug. Framed for the murder of his partner and hunted down by both the mob and the police, he is forced to wage a one-man war against crime. The game's intricate film noir story, which involves government cover-ups, the Mafia and a city crippled by the century's worst blizzard, is told through comic book-style storyboards.

"I think this is a real actor's part because although the story will have action and intrigue, at its core it's a story about a man who loses everything in life that's dear to him," said Scott Faye, who will produce with Julie Yorn.

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"Max Payne," which was the first video game to employ cinematic techniques like slow-motion "bullet time" (popularized in "The Matrix") into its game play, was an instant hit for Finnish game developer Remedy Entertainment and game publisher Gather of Developers.

According to video game tracking firm the NPD Group, "Max Payne" sold more than 5 million copies in the U.S. alone. Its sequel, "Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne," which shipped for PC, Xbox and PS2 in fall 2003 from Rockstar Games, sold more than 950,000 copies in the U.S.

Faye said the "Max Payne" movie will focus on the origin of the vigilante character. He said he has wanted to make his own "Dirty Harry"-like movie since he first saw Remedy's game at E3 in 1998. Remedy began creating the game back in 1996.

With "Max Payne," the filmmakers have the luxury of a narrative structure that lends itself to a feature film adaptation, Faye said. "Unlike a novel, video games by nature leave gaps in the story, which allows filmmakers an opportunity to flesh out the story and fill those holes in a meaningful way," he said.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter

[Carnage]

A Max Payne movie is so going to kick ass..

[Lowerdeck]

Concept looks good. If it ever comes out, let's just hope they did it right.

[ROC]

Hmmm, it might be good but I'm not digging the recent truckload of game movies, especially when none of the recent ones have been anything better than meh. In noticing the credits for Faye and Yorn, I see that neither person has had a good film (give or take Formula 51 and perhaps Eve's Bayou) to their credit. That may not be good.

Edited June 28, 2005 by TheROC-Revolt

[Laice07]

AS long as Uwe Boll is not the director, it has potential

[ROC]

AS long as Uwe Boll is not the director, it  has potential

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Edited June 28, 2005 by TheROC-Revolt

[Johnny Latino Heat]

In regards for the leading actor, I have to say, when I was watching Resident Evil and saw Eric Mabius, the first thought that came to my mind was "Max Payne?". He just LOOKS the part, honest.