Video game adaptations have been around for years, and are often released to somewhat mixed receptions, but according to reports that emerged yesterday it was almost time to forget about movies like Kane & Lynch, Hitman 2, and the slew of other video-game adaptations that are due to come out in the future, because the next big-thing had just been announced; and that ‘big-thing’ came from adapting Facebook applications into big-budget movies.
The only real announcement so far states that one of Facebook’s most popular applications; Mafia Wars (which is played by 30 million people every month); is currently being developed into a film, and while there were no real plot details, cast information, or shooting schedule, given in the reports, one thing was proclaimed as definite and confirmed news; it is happening, and it’s going to be a ‘crime thriller’ (which didn’t come as much of a shock given the applications title).
The announcement first came via Pajiba.com (but then spread via a number of popular and reputable sites such as Empire, and Latino Review) who claimed quite definitively that “Mafia Wars is being made into a movie”, and stated that “Radar Pictures” (the studio behind The Box, The Invention of Lying, and the Razzie winning All About Steve) “are developing the project”, and while the assertions of Pajiba do suggest that things are some distance from becoming a finished film; as they suggest that Radar pictures has the project “out to writers” (meaning that they still don’t have a script); it may be further from completion than they originally suggested.
Mafia Wars is a text-based strategy game, developed by Zynga, where players attempt to build and grow their own crime empire, and fight off their rivals; and while this may fit the rough plot for most mafia based film’s or TV shows, we have been contacted by the PR Manager from Zynga who confirmed, in brief but unquestionable terms, that “it’s just a rumour”,and that Radar are in no shape or form developing a film based on the game.
It’s no surprise really, as the game has no real plot to speak of, or anything other than text links and a few static images, so would probably end up being an adaptation in name only; and look like any other (non-application-based) mafia movie, and cause the developing studio to pay out a lot of money simply for the use of a title which wouldn’t exactly attract most gangster movie fans.
We’re still waiting on a formal reply from Radar studios, but for now, as the reports have been officially denied by the people who actually hold the rights to the popular game/application, it’s fairly safe to assume that any reports which suggested a Mafia Wars film was being developed, were either falsifying stories, or badly misinformed.
