Just when you think Hollywood had exhausted every possible idea from ‘80s pop culture, here comes New Line with Rampage. Last November, we reported that the studio started development on a feature film adaptation of the popular arcade game, and now the project has found its screenwriter.
Former executive Ryan Engle will pen what’s being described as an “Independence Day-style picture”, bringing a fairly minimalist concept to the big screen. The again, if they can make the snooze-inducing board game Battleship into an epic actioner, I’m sure they’ll be able to build a plot around giant animals punching skyscrapers. And though he’s a relative newcomer, Engle should be up to the task – his script for the thriller On a Clear Day, which landed on the Black List, is now being developed for Intrepid Pictures with Jaume Collet-Sera (Unknown) signed on to direct. [THR]
Rampage has an undeniable charm, and hopefully New Line and Engle can inject some of the humor that made the game a classic. I expect plenty of destruction, but it will be interesting to see how seriously they take the concept of a 50-foot werewolf unleashed on New York City.
Now that it has a screenwriter, are you looking forward to Rampage? Are you curious to see how they adapt the game?