Machinima Studios has announced that they’re developing a live-action adaptation of F.E.A.R., the 2005 first-person shooter horror game from Monolith Productions. Published by Warner Bros., the F.E.A.R. series immediately received a positive response from both critics and fans due to how it managed to blend the action of a shooter with the tense atmosphere of a horror game.
The 2005 original wound up receiving two sequels, F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin and F.E.A.R. 3 in 2009 and 2011, respectively. The plot of the series deals with the titular organization, which stands for First Encounter Assault Recon, who are tasked with taking on dangerous missions that involve the supernatural. Everything from supersoldiers to mind control are fair game. And while the series has remained on ice over the past few years, it seems there’s interest in bringing the property over to the filmmaking industry.
Machinima announced a partnership with screenwriter Greg Russo today, in which he will pen the script for a live-action adaptation of F.E.A.R. for Warner Bros.’ Machinima label. Russo, who’s already working on the scripts for the upcoming Mortal Kombat movie and Screen Gems’ Resident Evil reboot, is quite familiar with video game adaptations, which makes him an ideal candidate. Russo said: “F.E.A.R. holds a special place in my heart. I’m excited to bring my personal passion to this and future projects and can’t wait to see where our partnership goes from here.” Machinima General Manager Russell Arons also expressed his excitement to have an accomplished screenwriter on board:
While a F.E.A.R. revival (of sorts) may seem like it came out of nowhere, the announcement begins to make sense once the situation is assessed. Machinima is a division of Warner Bros. Digital Networks, and the F.E.A.R. franchise is owned by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. So, the horror series makes sense as a prime adaptation candidate, even if the series hasn’t been at the forefront of gaming in the past few years. This also isn’t the first time that Machinima Studios has used a Warner Bros. brand for their own series, as they previously did Mortal Kombat: Legacy.
“Greg is an inspired screenwriter who clearly loves gaming. To be able to bring his talents to Machinima Studios provides us an amazing opportunity to tackle action-packed series that are certain to appeal to our legions of millennial gamers and fans around the world.”
Of course, there’s always the chance for this to work both ways for the studio. By giving F.E.A.R. another shot via a live-action adaptation, they’re able to both raise and gauge interest. If successful, this could eventually lead to a new video game, something that series fans have been clamoring for. Until then, Machinima Studios will be working with Greg Russo on making this live-action adaptation of the series a success. The potential is certainly there.
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Source: Machinima
