Universal Pictures Lands Deal with Atari to Develop Feature Films Based on 10 Arcade Classics
Universal Pictures has expanded its growing portfolio of video game adaptations through a major licensing agreement with Atari, securing the film rights to ten of the pioneer gaming company’s most iconic properties.
The agreement encompasses arcade classics that helped define early electronic entertainment, including Pong, Asteroids, Centipede, Breakout, Missile Command, Yars’ Revenge, Adventure, Berzerk, Crystal Castles, and Millipede.
As part of the initial deal, Universal Pictures has acquired a spec screenplay written by Matt Reilly and Carl Hampe, with Guymon Casady set to produce through Entertainment 360. While the studio has not revealed which specific game serves as the focus of the script—or whether the storyline might connect multiple properties into a combined cinematic universe—Casady emphasized the storytelling freedom inherent in adapting early interactive media.
“The best Atari games dropped you into a world and let your imagination do the rest,” Casady said, noting that the screenwriters recognized an opportunity to build an expansive, original adventure around that gameplay spirit.
Hollywood’s renewed focus on retro gaming properties follows a series of high-profile box office victories for the genre. Major film studios have increasingly relied on established interactive media with pre-existing worldwide fanbases, demonstrated by Universal’s global blockbuster success with The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which grossed over $1.3 billion worldwide in 2023.
Founded in 1972, Atari was instrumental in launching the commercial video game industry, later popularizing home gaming consoles with the release of the Atari 2600 in 1977. Atari Chairman and CEO Wade Rosen noted that the company’s games have remained deeply ingrained in popular culture for more than five decades, expressing enthusiasm about bringing the legacy brand into movie theaters alongside Universal and Entertainment 360.
Adapting early 8-bit and arcade titles presents a distinctive creative exercise for modern filmmakers. Unlike modern video games that feature complex character arcs and extensive cinematic cutscenes, early titles like Pong or Missile Command rely on simple mechanics and abstract visuals, giving screenwriters the latitude to construct entirely original narratives from basic thematic hooks.
The deal also marks a return to familiar territory for the studio. Universal previously acquired the feature rights to Asteroids in 2009 during an earlier wave of game-to-screen options, though that effort never progressed into production. The newly signed multi-title pact demonstrates a significantly broader effort to translate classic gaming IP into modern theatrical releases.
