New plot for Splinter Cell film

By Tom Bramwell Published 4 January, 2006

Sam is now a cartoon badger.

Raymond Benson, the author of the two Splinter Cell novels [there are two Splinter Cell novels? - Ed], reckons the storyline for the upcoming Splinter Cell film won't have much in common with his work or the games.

Speaking to fan site The Fairer Sects (very good), Benson said the screenplay "is totally original and not based on any existing game or my books". Which isn't to say, of course, that it will be about gardening or pet rescue or anything, but rather that it will put sneaky spy pin-up Sam Fisher on a different path to the ones we already know about.

The film's apparently in pre-production at the moment, with Peter Berg attached to direct. There's no cast yet, and we don't know much about Berg either, although we did find a rather excellent IMDB picture of him pointing one way and actor Dwayne Johnson looking the other.

Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (26) Latest comment 6 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • EvolutionSkippedUSA #1 6 years ago

    Dwayne Johnson Rocks. Ahem.

    /Watches tumbleweed roll by.

    /Gets coat.

    /Leaves. Ashamed.

  • Eighthours #2 6 years ago

    Uh-oh, this spells trouble! Basically dumping your source material is very rarely a good thing in the movie world!

  • Flightrisker #3 6 years ago

    I presume Clancy's writing the plot

    /yawns

  • Lagto_Soa #4 6 years ago

    Peter Berg nobbed Linda Fiorentino in The Last Seduction. Fair play to 'im.

  • rinoaMW #5 6 years ago

    at least Uwe Boll hasn't sniffed out this one :)

  • Talha #6 6 years ago

    Well at least Uwe Boll would make it so bad it would be interesting. By the way, they would be better off focusing on the game's plot, but I hate it when movie 'adaptations' of games change the basic premise of a game, and take away any of its hook. I am looking at you, Doom.

  • feinry #7 6 years ago

    i didn't know berg was a director as well
    can't remember the movies he played in, but i def remember his face
    he directed Rocks in the jungle movie? was it any good?
    Edited by 1 at 04/01/06 @ 11:00

  • Cyhwuhx #8 6 years ago

    .::: If it's Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell, why has someone else written the novels?

    Unless of course the "Tom Clancy's" mark is just a marketing thing. But, heaven forbid, that couldn't possibly be true right?

  • bdaggers #9 6 years ago

    YAY ! more badgers in games, thats what I say.

    /hasn`t read the article - doesn`t want illusions shattered.

  • Kami #10 6 years ago

    No mushrooms or snakes, then?

  • asphaltcowboy #11 6 years ago

    Clancy hasn't written any Splinter Cell books... so I doubt he'll be writing the plot or script, though I'm sure someone could make a decent screenplay out of most things he writes...

  • Bumbuliuz #12 6 years ago

    Berg used to be an actor on Chicago Hope after that he turned to directing. I can point out 2 good movies he has doen. Very Bad Thing with Cristian Slater and Friday Night Lights with Billy Bob Thornton and also he did the flick with the Rock The Rundown. Nice re-search EG. He has a good rep as a director. Saying he is the perfect pick for this film is another matter. Time will tell.

  • Carpathian #13 6 years ago

    I read this thread purely due to the badger reference.

    I now feel cheated - can I have my money back, please ?

  • Dire #14 6 years ago

    Berg was also in collateral and copland.

    Edited by 1 at 04/01/06 @ 12:48

  • reality_cheque #15 6 years ago

    "actor Dwayne Johnson"?!?!?

    I would not call that acting. Next you'll be telling me Hulk Hogan was 'acting' in Suburban Commando!

  • Royal Fool #16 6 years ago

    When Ubisoft bought out Red Storm, they kept the rights to use the "Tom Clancy" brand name as well. I suppose Clancy earns a nice sum for having his name attached to all those products... he doesn't write much of the stuff that has the brand name these days, instead just "coming up with the ideas" and then letting other ghost writers take care of the details.

  • Kostabi #17 6 years ago

    Benson really gets the shaft with his novels, I haven't read any of his Splinter Cell stuff but if it's anything like the Bond books he writes then no doubt they are very good. Great movie material, right there.

    Are you listening Eon Productions? Use his stuff you bastards!

    /spits on Die Another Day.

  • Kosumo #18 6 years ago

    Peter Berg's Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: The Official Move of the Game

    There a nice simple title to round it all up.

    Honestly I reckon Mr. Johnson's acting was quite good in Doom, a lot better than some of his earlier attemps and is definatly making some progress. It's just hard to shake that "Rock" image off (still pretty fucking hard when he keeps that name too).

    And yes, in an unlrelated note: There most definatly should be more badgers in games.. and movies. With Mushrooms.

  • Kami #19 6 years ago

    And snakes. Don't forget the snakes.

  • UncleLou #20 6 years ago

    Now he would make a good Sam Fisher. :p

  • Lagto_Soa #21 6 years ago

    No, here's the man for the job.

    No mugshot? A travesty!

  • Xune #22 6 years ago

    How about the guy that actually does the voice for Sam and is a competent actor, Michael Ironside.

    Ooohhhh, controversial!

  • Lagto_Soa #23 6 years ago

    Only problem being that Michael Ironside's in his 50s. I thought he was a competent actor as well until I saw Highlander II - oh yeah, and The Next Karate Kid, which was (astoundingly) even worse.

  • Xune #24 6 years ago

    Oh no, actor makes bad film shocker! That's never happened before.

    And seriously, what does Ironsides age have to do with it? Prosthetics can make a middle agaed white woman look like a black teanager, are you telling me that hollywood can't make a 50 year old man look like a 40 year old man?

  • Lagto_Soa #25 6 years ago

    He's 55. And what would be the point of prosthetics when you could just cast someone closer to the right age? Someone who might actually have some 2006 audience pulling power, at that?

    As for his films, he seems to be one of those decent actors who'll sign up for any old shite just for a laugh, so his bad-to-good film ratio is a wee bit higher than most.

  • Xune #26 6 years ago

    Who went to see Doom? Doom fans. Who went to see Resident Evil? RE fans, who's going to see Splinter Cell? Hmmm, that's a toughie. The pulling power is the game to movie crossover, not the actors.