Missile Command sets sights on big screen

This coming July, Missile Command will celebrate its 31st birthday. This week saw the venerable arcade title in the spotlight for a different reason. According to Hollywood trade Variety, the title is being adapted for the big screen by its publisher, Atari, and a major motion picture company.

Variety reports that 20th Century Fox has taken on the project, which will have the dubious distinction of being based on a game with no storyline. Screenwriters Burk Sharpless and Matt Sazama (Dracula: Year Zero, the upcoming Flash Gordon remake) will be tasked with crafting a plot from the Cold War-era game, which sees players defend cities from incoming nuclear missile strikes. The game has sold 20 million units to date on numerous platforms.

The Missile Command movie will be produced by Peter Chernin and Dylan Clark via the former's Chernin Entertainment. The production label is also producing the forthcoming Planet of the Apes prequel Rise of the Apes, which is due out in June.

Atari president Jim Wilson will serve as Missile Command's executive producer. The title is just the latest game adaptation being produced by Atari, with big-screen versions of Asteroids and Rollercoaster Tycoon also in development.