Universal Pictures is reportedly teaming up with Square Enix to create a movie adaptation of Avalanche Studios’ explosive open-world video game series, Just Cause.
As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, the live-action film version of the long-lasting action franchise will be directed by Blue Beetle director Ángel Manuel Soto. No story details or release date has been revealed.
The Fall Guy and Nobody’s Kelly McCormick and David Leitch are producing the flick under 87North. Story Kitchen’s Dmitri M. Johnson, Mike Goldberg, and Timothy I. Stevenson are also attached to Just Cause. Dan Jevons is a part of the project as an executive producer.
Max Jacoby is on board to oversee for 87North. The company’s senior vice president of production development, Ryan Jones, and director of development, Tony Ducret, will also oversee the project.
If the Just Cause movie is anything like Square Enix and Avalanche’s video game series, fans can expect an especially fiery adaptation. The island-set franchise stars Rico Rodriguez, a gun-toting mercenary who uses parachutes and a wrist-mounted grappling hook to get around. From the release of the original game in 2006 to Just Cause 4 in 2018, the series is known for its massive set pieces and explosive combat.
A Just Cause movie has been in development for some time. Word that an adaptation was in the works first arrived in 2009, but updates then became few and far between in the following years. Game of Thrones and Aquaman star Jason Momoa joined the project at one point, though it's not currently clear who will star at this stage.
Just Cause will join a growing list of game-to-movie adaptations. Recent additions to this list include The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Five Nights at Freddy’s. As fans flock to see their favorite games make it to the big screen, studios have already pushed to make more film’s based on iconic properties. Sonic the Hedgehog 3, for example, is set to arrive later this year, with Five Nights at Freddy’s 2, The Legend of Zelda, and Minecraft movies scheduled to show up in the future, too.
For more on how the gaming industry plans to work its way into movies, you can check out our list of our 12 dream video game movies and TV shows.
Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He started writing in the industry in 2017 and is best known for his work at outlets such as The Pitch, The Escapist, OnlySP, and Gameranx.
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