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Box Office: Amid Minecraft buzz, Sydney Sweeney and Michael Bay set THIS Sega game adaptation at Universal
Universal taps Michael Bay to direct OutRun with Sydney Sweeney producing, as Sega’s iconic arcade racer gears up for the big screen amid a boom in video game adaptations.
As video game adaptations continue to dominate the global box office, Universal Pictures is plotting its next ambitious project — OutRun, based on Sega’s iconic 1986 arcade driving game. The studio has tapped action maestro Michael Bay to direct the high-octane feature, while rising Hollywood star Sydney Sweeney will produce the film under her Fifty-Fifty Films banner.
Bay, known for The Transformers franchise and Ambulance, will also produce alongside Brad Fuller through their Platinum Dunes banner, which maintains a first-look deal with Universal. On Sega’s behalf, the venture will be led by longtime producer Toru Nakahara, who has been closely involved with Sega’s recent adaptations, including Sonic the Hedgehog, Knuckles, and the upcoming Golden Axe. Sega Corporation’s president and COO, Shuji Utsumi, will oversee the film on behalf of the gaming giant.
Plot details for OutRun remain under wraps for now, naturally, but reports suggest the screenplay is being handled by Jayson Rothwell, whose previous writing credits include Polar and Arachnid. Universal’s Matt Reilly and Ryan Jones will supervise production for the studio.
Originally released in arcades in the aforementioned year, OutRun proved groundbreaking with its free-roaming driving gameplay, vivid visuals, and memorable electronic music. It wasn’t just a game, it sparked a cultural movement. In fact, it even gave rise to a retro-futurist music genre that shares its name. The game’s influence has endured through numerous sequels and console versions, keeping it firmly in the spotlight as one of Sega’s most beloved properties.
Universal’s investment in the video game space has been paying off in a big way. After the record-breaking success of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which grossed over USD 1.4 billion globally, and the surprise hit Five Nights at Freddy’s with USD 290 million worldwide, the studio is clearly betting big on familiar gaming IPs. The announcement of OutRun, moreover, comes hot on the heels of A Minecraft Movie crossing USD 700 million at the global box office en route to the USD 1 billion club.
With the combination of Bay’s explosive direction and Sweeney’s rising influence in Hollywood, not only as an actor but also as a producer, fans will be eager to see how the adrenaline-filled world of OutRun translates to the big screen. One thing is for certain, however: the race to adapt beloved video games into films isn’t slowing down anytime soon.
ALSO READ: 7 Highest-Grossing Video Game Movies Worldwide; The Super Mario Bros Movie tops list
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