The adaptation of video games to the big screen is a process that we are all familiar with by now, and the latest addition is OutRun, the 1986 arcade driving game from SEGA. How that will take shape will be anyone’s guess, but Michael Bay is set to direct the film, with Sydney Sweeney producing for Universal Pictures.
Jayson Rothwell (Polar, Arachnid) is set to write the screenplay. Bay and Brad Fuller will produce through Platinum Dunes’ first-look deal with Universal Pictures. Additionally, Sweeney, who produced Anyone But You and Immaculate, will serve as a producer. Toru Nakahara (Sonic the Hedgehog 1~3, Knuckles, Golden Axe) will produce for SEGA and Shuji Utsumi (President/COO of SEGA CORPORATION) will oversee the project on behalf of SEGA.
For more modern gamers unfamiliar with the game, the OutRun series originated from some of the most successful arcade games of the 1980s. The game pioneered a new genre of racing games where players could enjoy the scenery and landscapes while speeding along and spawned an entire electronic music subgenre aptly called “OutRun“.
This unique approach set it apart from previous racing games and made it a worldwide hit. Since then, numerous series instalments have been released, including home console versions, and it continues to be one of SEGA’s flagship franchises.
The film adaptation will likely propel the series into the mainstream consciousness once more, and Universal Pictures definitely has a good record thus far with video game adaptations. OutRun follows the likes of The Super Mario Bros. Movie and Five Nights at Freddy’s, which grossed over $1.4 billion and $290 million, respectively, at the global box office.
If you are looking for something more immediate, there is always the option of A Minecraft Movie, which has smashed records en route to becoming a huge success in both the US and global markets. SEGA will hope that the OutRun movie will follow the same vein.
