Samuel Jackson in Afro Samurai game
On PS3 and 360 this year.
Samuel L. Jackson is set to star in a videogame adaptation of manga/anime series Afro Samurai for PS3 and Xbox 360.
Due out in the US this autumn from Namco Bandai, the game is about Jackson's character, Afro, who wants to be the world's number one fighter.
Apparently this brings with it godlike powers thanks to a ceremonial headband, and Afro's interest in it has a lot to do with the current number one, Justice, who killed his dad when Afro was a kid.
Originally a manga series by Takashi Okazaki, Wikipedia (you knew anyway) goes on to add that the GONZO-produced anime series is directed by Fuminori Kizaki and has been shown to some acclaim in the US, Japan and the UK. Must've missed it.
The game, which uses cel-shaded visuals similar to the series, is home to lots of smashingly unpleasant violence, according to a GameSpot first look, and features "ground, aerial, and terrain" combat. All in all it sounds like third-person action.
What's more, there's a hip-hop soundtrack by RZA of the Wu-Tang Clan, with different tunes for each major confrontation.
Having voiced the TV series (and signed on for an upcoming live-action film), Namco Bandai will presumably hope that Jackson's involvement continues to catch people's attention.
It's not his first videogame role though - he also voiced Officer Tenpenny in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, and has done bits for Star Wars and Incredibles games in line with his appearances in the films that preceded them.
Namco Bandai plans to release Afro Samurai in the autumn across the pond, but there's no word on a European release yet as the publisher typically farms its games out to others to distribute.