Wiseman wants to film Gears trilogy

By Robert Purchese Published 26 January, 2009

"A harder edged Lord of the Rings."

Die Hard 4.0 director Len Wiseman plans to turn Gears of War into a film trilogy.

He confirmed his role at the helm during a red carpet chat with website Bloody-Disgusting, and shed some light on his masterplan for the IP.

"The hope is that we're wanting to do three movies and really cover the bases on everything. Basically a harder edged Lord Of The Rings," said Wiseman.

"It's going to be much more [on the] science fiction side of it than the creature side of it. I've always been much more of a sci-fi action fan than a horror fan."

Apparently Wiseman began looking into Gears of War after picking the shooter to appear during a scene of Die Hard 4.0.

"I just really connected with it; the design of it the world, the whole thing," added Wiseman. "So I actually bought an Xbox 360 to start researching what it was."

Pirates of the Caribbean and Collateral writer Stuart Beattie will be doing the script, and the whole project will be overseen by Gears of War creative director Cliff Bleszinski.

Legendary Pictures, of 300 and The Watchmen credit, has stumped up half the cash for the project, and production company Temple Hill Entertainment reckons a launch next year is likely.

No Hollywood actors or actresses have been linked with the project. Maybe Bruce Willis will join in.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (64) Latest comment 3 years ago

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

  • Widge #1 3 years ago

    Although Gordon Freeman being totally silent doesn't help the Half Life as a movie cause.

  • DFawkes #2 3 years ago

    Plus Half-life being better than almost all movies nowadays.

    A Gears film based around another squad might be not bad, as long as he doesn't just retread what Gears story there is - I don't want Fenix in it at all.

  • Doctor_What #3 3 years ago

    "I actually bought an Xbox 360 to start researching what it was." This wasn't the first thing that he did?

    Then again, ignoring the game's story might be the best idea...

  • thenastypasty #4 3 years ago

    I wonder if the film will be laggy like the game!

  • Dizzy #5 3 years ago

    Amazed that it will be such a high budget flick.

    I still think that Halo is much better movie material though.

  • Thalanos #6 3 years ago

    Gears has the visuals to make a pretty movie. It just lacks the depth to make a good one.

  • muscleblade #7 3 years ago

    "A Gears film based around another squad might be not bad, as long as he doesn't just retread what Gears story there is - I don't want Fenix in it at all. "

    Exactly how they should do it. Different cast and maybe even different timeline could rescue the film and not ruining the game franchise.

  • PearOfAnguish #8 3 years ago

    "I wonder if the film will be laggy like the game!"

    It won't be viewable in cinema screens using Sony technology.

  • Unclebenny #9 3 years ago

    The fact that gears gets all it plot points into a few seconds of expoisiton during short cutscenes does not for a good film make. I was very dissapointed that after all the talk of gears 2 having a deeper story about Doms wife, all this lead to was a very short interlude in the main quest when they go off to try find her. Gears story telling is poor at best and I found it confusing at worst.
    Lets make a film of sonic the hedgehog. It could be la biopic charting his rise to fame and steep fall into normal life because he spends all his money on a gang of cronies who follow him round ruining his projects after that. Eventually all the drugs turn him into a werehog... or something.

  • Feanor #10 3 years ago

    Is he referencing LotR just because it was three movies?

  • Dizzy #11 3 years ago

    Guys.. it is an action space shooter. Even the amazing Aliens had no plot. It was a video game. Goto point A fix this, goto point B take that, goto point C escape.. It had good action and good atmosphere (no pun intended).

  • PearOfAnguish #12 3 years ago

    Maybe it'll be about a group of very short, hairy soldiers who walk a long way to throw a bit of jewellery into a volcano

  • the_mtfr #13 3 years ago

    Lol white a pile of. Just pronouncing "Die Hard 4" in the same context... Good job EG with the title ("Wise man...";).

  • hbunny #14 3 years ago

    Ha ha. Let's compare:

    The Lord of the Rings - Huge bloody book that can't be completely squeezed into 3 films running to almost 10 hours (extended edition).

    Gears of War - Computer games with a couple of minutes of exposition

    Hmm, an apples and oranges comparison anyone?
    Edited by 1 at 26/01/09 @ 15:09

  • WiseNail #15 3 years ago

    They should also make a film about Resistance Fall of Man, then the Eurogamer forums could spend ages arguing about which is better...

  • penhalion #16 3 years ago

    I would vote for a half life movie too. We all know what gordon freeman looks like and the sinister grey suited council would make a great mystery villain. Heck I still don't know what they want even though episode three is on the horizon. All we do know is that Grodon is somehow special enough to them that they don't seem to want him dead. At the same time they couldn't give a flying fig about anyone else.

    The gears movie would only work in a hamburger hill, killing fields kind of way and not an epic LOTR way. There is no equivalent ring quest. We can assume that either the locust are emulsion mutated humans or were around before man arrived and are actually fighting for their home world. It's also now implied that the emulsion is actually a living sentient entity that is itself fighting for survival against those that are using it as a power source!

    seriously. The gears plot is way too supid and vague to make a movie out of it.

  • Buztafen #17 3 years ago

    Whilst my spider sense is tingling....i cant help but be intrigued as to what theyre gonna come up with....

    /prepares for epic fail

  • Dizzy #18 3 years ago

    "The Lord of the Rings - Huge bloody book that can't be completely squeezed into 3 films running to almost 10 hours (extended edition). "

    True.. but 90% of LotR is Hobbits singing ;)

    "We can assume that either the locust are emulsion mutated humans or were around before man arrived and are actually fighting for their home world. It's also now implied that the emulsion is actually a living sentient entity that is itself fighting for survival against those that are using it as a power source!

    seriously. The gears plot is way too supid and vague to make a movie out of it. "

    Sounds like about 90% of the Japanese animation plots. Evangelion anybody?
    Edited by 1 at 26/01/09 @ 15:15

  • FHUTA #19 3 years ago

    I assumed that Gears was in Die Hard as a sponshorship deal - especially as when Brucey first rescues the kid playing the game in is done as a Gears style shoot-out. Lock to cover - pop out aimed shots - dive to new cover point - blind fire - grenade - roadie run - repeat etc..

    The only thing missing was chainsaws and active reload!

    Also - LOTR seems an odd comparison, but hey - may as well compare to something well known even if it is rubbish

  • Slabbathepave #20 3 years ago

    The whole thing is fucking stupid. Every aspect of it, from every angle conceievable and covering every sentient being involved. Fucking stupid.

    Gears of War 2 made me laugh...laugh hard. Fun game (if a little OTT) but for gods sake do not try and give these Unreal Tournament skins character depth....i mean for gods sake what kind of fucking retard takes Gears seriously on any level?

    I refuse to accept the irony because it wasnt intended, therefor its fucking stupid.

    Gears is stupid. If you treat it as anything else....your stupid.

    Stupid.

  • TLKCydonia #21 3 years ago

    Sounds good. I think people who were expecting a Gears movie to be a deep, thoughtful film full of exposition were just barking up the wrong tree. Any Gears film was always going to be a plot-light action blockbuster, and expecting anything else would just be foolish IMO.

    But anyway - yay.

  • hiddenranbir #22 3 years ago

    Hahahahahahahaha.

  • Toothball #23 3 years ago

    Did they just compare Gears of War to Lord of the Rings? That's nearly as good as the book in the Limited Edition version of the first game, where they quote CliffyB on the same page as Sun Tsu.

  • GrumpyLlama #24 3 years ago

    Why are all movies based on games crap? Simple almost without exception the plots of games a crap. The only game that has impressed me with plot or characterisation recently was Portal. If you want interaction play a game. If you want a good plot read a book. I doubt there will ever be a Citizen Kane of games as the plots in modern games a just an excuse to shoot things in the head over and over again.

  • kangarootoo #25 3 years ago

    @Crofto

    "The games have an adequate story at best (heck, the original can be played without factoring in the plot at all) so a movie based on it sounds like a rather stupid idea"

    Yeah, 'cos an action film without a plot is like a fish without a bicycle, right? ;)


    "and the whole project will be overseen by Gears of War creative director Cliff Bleszinski"

    Ah

  • kangarootoo #26 3 years ago

    As a point of reference, I quite liked Diehard 4.0, but the plit was proper nonsense.

  • bodypopper #27 3 years ago

    I agree Half Life would be a better movie. Gordon not talking doesn't matter - it means no one can disappointed as long as it's a decent actor with a beard and glasses. Ed Norton or Ryan Reynolds would be great in the role I reckon.
    Gears is a lot fun to play but as a move it would play like a homerotic Top Gun tribute. With added aliens and gore.
    Edited by 1 at 26/01/09 @ 15:54

  • GrumpyLlama #28 3 years ago

    The plot in Halflife is laughable. Okay for a game, but bad even for an 80s B movie. Neighbours has better storylines and more emotional impact. Maybe it is because games a traditionally targeted at young males.
    Edited by 1 at 26/01/09 @ 16:02

  • captainrentboy #29 3 years ago

    I think it'll be good, I'm not asking for facking Casablanca 2 here, I want rediculous OTT action sequences, blood and gore galore, a few laughs and fannytastic special effects. I think Wiseman is more than capable of bringing the goods. Die Hard 4 isn't that bad and I'm not sure why it's sooo hated, the action is inventive and as long as you've got the 2 disc dvd it's still full of the same ole McClane wisecracks. I mean the series was going downhill right from the off, I don't think numero 3 stood the test of time particularly well.
    And Len's Underworld films, well, y'know, they ermmmm, had Beckinsale in leather looking hot as a mother fucker! :)
    Edited by 1 at 26/01/09 @ 16:21

  • Razz #30 3 years ago

    Halo and Half Life, Even Lost Planet make for a much better movie experience than Gears of War.. .it's just going to be a completely brainless guns and gore flick ;_;

  • skillian #31 3 years ago

    Praise for the Die Hard 4.0 movie just shows that you can find anyone who will like any movie, especially if you've got an established fanbase. Hell, I know someone who thought the new Indiana Jones was pretty good, and a couple of people who really enjoyed Don't Mess With The Zohan.

    No offence meant to captainrentboy and kangarootoo of course, we all have different tastes :)

  • Entity #32 3 years ago

    As a great man once said: "Milky milky"

  • robg #33 3 years ago

    FORGET ABOUT FREEMAN!

    (Anyone remember their blood starting to pump as they heard that and the music started? Brilliant moment)

    I thought Half Life's subtle background-storytelling was done really well, only really bested by Half Life 2 (other than in games which massively use storyline, such as Planescape: Torment). It compares very favourably to the crap that is much modern fiction.

  • zuljin #34 3 years ago

    I think people are possibly forgetting a much greater argument to be had here...

    Who would you have cast as Marcus Phoenix?

    On the one hand I'd love to see someone like Bruce Willis, even though he doesn't really fit the age range. Tbh I'm only thinking of him because someone mentioned Die Hard. I think John Cena would hit the character right on the head (would need a slightly gruffier voice though).

  • ShogunAssassin #35 3 years ago

    I imagine it being a lot like 300, with the blue screen background graphics. Actually, 300 is quite an adequate comparison to make, since that movie, while being pretty good, brainless fun, didn´t have much of a plot and also starred big, homoerotic wrestlers pouring gallons of blood.

    I´m not expecting greatness here, but if done properly, this could actually be decent. I´m actually looking forward to this movie, at least out of curiosity.
    Edited by 1 at 26/01/09 @ 16:52

  • penhalion #36 3 years ago

    @Zuljin

    Just pick a random black linebacker, latino running back and white defender and you'd have three guys with the correct build and attitude to play the main gears characters.

  • kangarootoo #37 3 years ago

    @skillian

    I have absolutely no plans to watch the Zohan movie.

    I did however enjoy the new Indy film (it wasn't great, but I wasn't bored).

    I like swashbuckling as much as I like monster B movies, as much as I like Pans Labyrinth. I liked Die Hard 4.0 because it had good action cg heavy scenes, and therefore provided what I expected from a Die Hard film. Its not in my top ten mind, and I don't consider myself to be in the core fanbase of either film :)

  • dirtysteve #38 3 years ago

    @Bodypopper
    Ryan Reynolds- Seriously? Have you seen Blade Trinity?

  • Thunderbolt #39 3 years ago

    Zohan and the Love Guru are tied for my worst movies of 2008.

    And whats all the praise for the Half-Life storyline, did I miss something or had I just seen it done much better on the X-Files?

  • skillian #40 3 years ago

    @kanga

    Indeed mate, everyone has their own thing. I'm a huge fan of Spider-Man 3 and Alien Resurrection which were both pretty much universally panned, plus I didn't actually think The Dark Knight was that impressive, despite loving Batman Begins. There's loads of other examples too of course.
    Edited by 1 at 26/01/09 @ 17:19

  • Vin #41 3 years ago

    Love for SM3 and AR?

    I'm totally gonna pretend I didn't read that.

  • WiseNail #42 3 years ago

    Wouldn't Bruce Willis be better cast as Colonel Hoffman than Marcus Fenix?

  • Frandroid #43 3 years ago

    Gears of War is probably a better basis for a film than Half Life. Half Life had a very basic plot, clunky and cliched by film standards. What set it apart was that it set a new standard for story telling within games, the actual story iself was fairly ropey.
    Gears of War has a (reasonably) original setting and the games at least hint at a history and back story. As run and gun action games, they don't (and probably shouldn't) spend too much time on the plot. The quality of any films based on the franchise is down the script writer and director.
    Wiseman's original Bourne film was very good, but only took the ghost of a premise from Ludlum's novel. However, it benefitted from not sticking too closely to the source material. However, the Gears movie will no doubt be panned by critics if cleaves to the plot of the game or abused by fans for deviating from it. :o)

  • Cannibal #44 3 years ago

    Gerard Butler for Marcus.

  • jachap #45 3 years ago

    Just reunite the cast of Armageddon. Easy.

    If this was ludicrously bombastic and 18 Rated I'd watch it. The trouble is, Hollywood seems to have lost the knack. They don't make films as preposterously entertaining as Con Air any more. They make - and this is apt - Die Hard 4. A weak, comedy/fantasy addition to the series, as far as I'm concerned.

    This'll have no physical effects, no real strain of wit (the comedy, I'm assuming, will be as misfiring as it is in the games) and it'll just look exactly like Doom. Though Wiseman will probably opt for some Saving Private Ryan-esque documentary shaky-cam just to irritate everyone in the cinema and obscure the violence sufficiently to make it a fun-loving, family friendly 15.

    And Vin Diesel will be Marcus Phoenix. I don't think they will even consider making a Gears film without Marcus.

  • patchbox360 #46 3 years ago

    ahh those street fighter adverts to the side, ahh street fighter 4 - i cannot wait!

  • septimus #47 3 years ago

    Will the actors just randomly stick to walls as they run past them? To keep the fans happy.

  • sneetch #48 3 years ago

    @Crofto
    The games have an adequate story at best (heck, the original can be played without factoring in the plot at all) so a movie based on it sounds like a rather stupid idea

    You haven't seen many action movies I take it? :)

    In very broad terms the plot is similar to Lord of the Rings both can be summed up as: a massively powerful evil menace threatens to wipe out everyone, no quarter will be given, no mercy will be shown, it's up to a bunch of heroes to sort it all and save everything by delivering a macguffin to the heart of the enemy's territory.

    It's the spectacle they want, the sheer scale of catastrophe and what's at stake. Regardless of whether or not you think the plot in the games is good enough with a good cast and good script it could be good.

    Mind you, I wouldn't take any bets on it actually being good. :)

    @bodypopper
    [/i]Gears is a lot fun to play but as a move it would play like a homerotic Top Gun tribute.[/i]

    Well, Top Gun itself had some pretty strong homoerotic elements, so I think that'd be this would be a pretty amazingly gay movie. ;)

  • captainrentboy #49 3 years ago

    Ohhh and Dominic Purcell for Marcus, thanks.
    (I bring this up in every GOW/film related thread)

  • GamesConnoisseur #50 3 years ago

    People who disagrees with Wiseman/Legendary need to remember its their money/time to spend as they wish! They are not going to say 'Guys! The EG forumites are saying we should do Half Life instead!'.

    I enjoyed GoW1/2, but mmm a film?!

    Name me a successfully translated videogame based film?! Will always fail as both are too different a medium but there are right mix in GoW already. I mean, squad with core 4 characters and fringe characters (Aliens/Platoon), stonking great weapons, technology and sci fi themed world.

    Loud and terrifying monsters and mystifying pre-history culture and apparently 'tainted' with human science. I think there would be enough to make one movie instead of trilogy. I mean didnt work for Riddick right?!

    Half Life to me would translated better to big budget TV series like Lost or Heroes.

  • TheBoyChris #51 3 years ago

    Has anyone actually looked up the story for Half-Life? It's a series of events that you react to, but the storyline itself is *incredibly* vague.

  • hugejeans #52 3 years ago

    Hope it stays true to its source material.

    Slam into cover then carry on over the top to the other side.
    When an actor has a pistol he can only melee.
    Fire arms training is a must so they aim the shotgun otherwise they will shoot the floor.

    All this and more untill they patch the film which will be a first in cinema history

  • Bremenacht #53 3 years ago

    April fool's isn't for another two months!

  • bad09 #54 3 years ago

    @ Goatboy

    Oi! What's wrong with big Ron? Legend in Police Academy: Mission To Moscow.

    As for Gears movies it could be awesome, but it won't, I've seen Die Hard 4...

    (well I suppose Underworld is OK so there is some hope)

  • Spekingur #55 3 years ago

    I don't see a problem with this, if done in a proper manner. It doesn't have to be based on the game itself but it can be based on the same background. There have been a few okay-ish movies made after computer games. Heck, even them comic-movies didn't do that well at first. Not until they learned what the viewers wanted to see.

    I liked Doom, for example. It was a nice sci-fi flick. It wasn't 'the game' but still a nice entertainment. The Resident Evil movies were also okay. I was even pleasantly surprised by 'In the name of the King' - the start of that one was quite brutal and the special effects were surprisingly good.

    We also have to understand that playing games provides a diffirent medium than a movie does. There isn't any interaction from the viewer during a movie, whilst there's almost constant interaction from the player in a video game. So gamers will probably never be satisfied that a movie or a director hasn't "captured the essence" of the game. The same can be said when creating a game after a movie.

  • 3william56 #56 3 years ago

    @Penhalion
    "Just pick a random black linebacker, latino running back and white defender and you'd have three guys with the correct build and attitude to play the main gears characters."

    And the correct IQ and acting talent.

  • AJUK #57 3 years ago

    It's certainly not a good idea to describe a potentail Gears of War movie as 'a harder edged lord of the Rings' it would be better to call it a 'more bodybuilt version of Chronicles of Riddick' ;)

  • spongebob #58 3 years ago

    Wouldn't it be more accurate to call it:

    "Hard edged Lord of the Rings with buff gay soldiers"?

  • spongebob #59 3 years ago

    It would be also nice to have a romantic sidestory with Marcus and one of the soldiers.

  • Amoebalove #60 3 years ago

    Posting comments about Gears being homoerotic or having ‘buff gay soldiers’ says far more about the poster than the game itself! I swear I can hear a closet door opening every time it happens!

  • spongebob #61 3 years ago

    I don't have any problem admitting I have a gay side to me. I don't think anyone can really say that he or she is 100% straight. Everyone's a bisexual to some degree.

  • skillian #62 3 years ago

    Of course we are just joking around, but wouldn't it be a massive achievement for them to make the Gears film with a gay central character? I would smash a million preconceptions about what violent videogames are about, and earn the film way more critical acclaim (and publicity) than it could otherwise ever hope to achieve.

    :/

  • Spekingur #63 3 years ago

    If the film is released I think we should get achievements for going to see it...

  • Amoebalove #64 3 years ago

    @spongebob

    I don't have any problem admitting I have a gay side to me. I don't think anyone can really say that he or she is 100% straight. Everyone's a bisexual to some degree.

    Ha! I couldn't agree more and thank you for coming back with such an excelent reply.