Adapting a video game for the big screen is a dependable way to fill up a few of those sacks with the dollar signs printed on them. It’s also a dependable way to put film critics to sleep (Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within is one of the most highly acclaimed video game movies ever made, and it holds a 44% on Rotten Tomatoes). Sony is clearly after those moneybags, as the company has announced that its film division, Sony Pictures, will be breaking ground on an film adaptation of its Watch Dogs franchise.
You may not have heard of Watch Dogs. That’s perfectly reasonable, as the game won’t be released for another three months. A bit of a bold move on Sony’s part – presumably, the idea of a Watch Dogs movie would drum up some extra interest for the game, but if it turns out that Watch Dogs the game is a massive dud, expect whole boardrooms full of Sony execs to slink sheepishly away from this one.
Watch Dogs is the story of Aiden Pearce, a hacker extraordinaire who wreaks technological vengeance on those who have wronged him. Pearce has the ability to hack into public infrastructure, controlling traffic lights, security cameras, and gaining access to private databases full of personal information. It seems like a natural fit for a big budget movie- who wouldn’t want to see a $200m blockbuster about a guy who commits identity theft and can turn turn all the traffic lights green on his way home?
