Deus Ex adaptation writer says “We want this movie to be Blade Runner”

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

It's been many moons since we last heard any word on the live action adaptation of the iconic Square Enix video game DEUS EX: HUMAN REVOLUTION, with our last story coming in November of last year when SINISTER duo Scott Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill had come onboard to direct and co-write, respectively.

This past week at San Diego Comic-Con, the film’s co-writer C. Robert Cargill spoke to ScreenRant about the challenges posed by adapting the game to film, stating…

It’s not a video game movie, it’s a cyberpunk movie.

“Eidos Montreal has given us a lot of freedom in terms of story; they want this movie to be ‘Blade Runner.’ We want this movie to be ‘Blade Runner.’ ”

And while Cargill maintains that he and Derrickson aren’t looking to mimic director Ridley Scott’s 1982 sci-fi classic, there’s no question that the "Deus Ex" franchise shares the same bleak view of science fiction as that iconic film. If you're not familiar with DEUS EX: HUMAN REVOLUTION, here's a brief description:

The cyberpunk- influenced Deus Ex: Human Revolution occurs during the year 2027, 25 years or so prior to Deus Ex. Nanotechnological augmentations have yet to be produced and structural augmentations are classified as the latest technology. The key character, Adam Jensen, is a individual security official with Sarif Industries, a number one firm who specializes in human augmentations. Following, he witnesses an assault on his firm which results in him horrifically wounded and made to undertake augmentation to live, “the conspiracy starts.” 

I'm not a video game guy, so I'm not at all familiar with DEUS EX, but I'm certainly intrigued by what I'm hearing about the film adaptation…and it never hurts to have a BLADE RUNNER comparison. Hopefully we'll be hearing more news on this film soon and, as always, we'll keep you posted.