Siren gets big screen adaptation

Another big screen adaptation of a blockbuster videogame appears to be on the way - Ghost House Pictures has optioned the film rights for Sony's survival horror series Siren.

The names involved in the deal are promising; Ghost House is the production company run by Rob Taper and Sam Raimi, who worked together on Evil Dead. Raimi also directed the Spider-Man films.

According to Hollywood trade paper Variety, script writer Michael Gordon (whose only previous credited work is as a writer on the adaptation of Frank Miller's graphic novel 300, which is currently filming) will be working closely with Siren creator Keiichiro Toyama.

If Siren does make it to the big screen, it will be following in the footsteps of fellow Japanese horror franchise Silent Hill, the movie version of which due to be released in the coming months. It's already attracting significant attention thanks to a proper spooky trailer, not to mention the participation of writer Roger Avary (Pulp Fiction) and director Christophe Gans (Brotherhood of the Wolf).

It's perhaps appropriate that Siren should follow Silent Hill in this way - not least since Siren creator Toyama was also a key figure in the development of the Silent Hill series for Konami.

The second title in the Siren series is due to be launched in Japan early this year, with a European release to follow in late 2006.