The latest video game to make the leap to the big screen has been announced. The Just Cause movie adaptation not only has licenses purchased by a production company, but they’ve hired the writer of John Wick to write the script. While video game movies tend to struggle at the box office, the action-adventure series could lend itself well to audiences.
German company Constantin Film obtained the rights to the Just Cause movie. Constantin’s Robert Kulzer is producing the film alongside Prime Universe Films’ Adrian Askarieh. Kulzer is a producer on the Resident Evil movies and Askarieh produced the Hitman movies. Scriptwriter Derek Kolstad has previously written three John Wick movies. Executive producer Martin Moszkowicz said they will begin filming in 2020.
Producers are hoping the film will be the first in an ongoing Just Cause franchise. The original Just Cause game released in 2006 and follows the story of Rico Rodriguez as he works to overthrow a dictator on a fictional Caribbean island. The well-received game set in motion the series known for its creative means of transportation, open-world gameplay, and non-linear environments. Just Cause now has four games in the series.
As of 2017, director Brad Peyton was leading the film. Jason Momoa was signed on to play the lead role as well. While there have been rumors and shake-ups surrounding the film, no changes have been announced regarding the director or cast.
Video game movies tend to be notoriously terrible. They flop at box offices and provide more of a “so-bad-it’s-funny” type of entertainment. Both producers on the Just Cause movie have experience with video game movie adaptations, and both have been through the wringer before with bad reviews and poor reception. Then again, the box office success of Detective Pikachu may be a positive sign of the potential of video game adaptations when done just right.
