Atari, Universal Partner on 10 Classic Game Films
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- Atari has signed a deal with Universal Pictures and Entertainment 360 to develop 10 of its classic video game properties for film, including Asteroids, Centipede, and Pong.
- Universal Pictures acquired the first project from the partnership, an original feature film based on Atari IP, written by Matt Reilly and Carl Hampe.
- Entertainment 360’s Guymon Casady will produce the film, citing the imaginative spirit of Atari games as inspiration for a large-scale adventure story.
- Matt Reilly and Carl Hampe co-wrote the spec script that catalyzed the deal, drawing on their shared history as Atari 2600 players and fans of the brand.
- Asteroids, Adventure, Berzerk, Breakout, Centipede, Crystal Castles, Millipede, Missile Command, Pong, and Yars’ Revenge are the 10 properties now available for development under the agreement.
Why it matters: This deal gives Universal access to a catalog of retro gaming IP with nostalgic recognition among older audiences, while Atari gains a major studio partner to expand its brand beyond physical collectibles and niche re-releases. The success of past video game adaptations suggests high risk, but a hit could revive dormant franchises into global franchises.
