Fox hires writers for adaptation of Atari game Missile Command

If James Cameron thinks the BATTLESHIP movie is stupid, I don’t want to be around to hear what he has to say about the MISSILE COMMAND movie. Atari began pitching the film rights to the classic video game property around Hollywood last year and Fox has closed a deal for the project and has hired two writers to begin developing the MISSILE COMMAND movie.

While you may see a GOONIES-era Steven Spielberg posing next to an arcade console of MISSILE COMMAND to your right, don’t expect Senor Spielbergo to have anything to do with this film. Instead, Fox has brought on Burk Sharpless and Matt Sazama, writers of DRACULA: YEAR ZERO to work on the first draft.

So what will the film be about? No one really knows really. It will presumably follow a group of soldiers defending major cities from impending attack. Hopefully the movie will retain the game’s finest twist: there is no way to win. In the game, the levels just get progressively harder and faster until you lose and the classic “The End” title screen pops up.

Before you get on Fox for supporting the questionable decision to make a MISSILE COMMAND movie, remember it’s not the only Atari property in development. Universal is also developing ASTEROIDS while Warner Bros. works on ROLLER COASTER TYCOON. Take that, James Cameron.