Duke Nukem -- based on the videogame
#1
DVD Talk Legend
Thread Starter
Duke Nukem -- based on the videogame
John Cena is getting ready to shoot up some aliens.
The wrestler-turned-actor is negotiations to star in Duke Nukem, a big-screen adaptation of the popular video game franchise featuring the politically incorrect action hero that is set up at Paramount.
Platinum Dunes, the company run by Michael Bay, Andrew Form and Brad Fuller, will produce the movie.
No director is on board at this stage. A search for a writer will begin soon to develop a script for what is intended to be a star vehicle for Cena.
The Nukem video games follow muscular adventures of its titular protagonist, who initially was a mash-up of action hero tropes. The muscular cigar-chomping figure has been fighting aliens in order to save planet Earth since 1991 when the first game was released.
The wrestler-turned-actor is negotiations to star in Duke Nukem, a big-screen adaptation of the popular video game franchise featuring the politically incorrect action hero that is set up at Paramount.
Platinum Dunes, the company run by Michael Bay, Andrew Form and Brad Fuller, will produce the movie.
No director is on board at this stage. A search for a writer will begin soon to develop a script for what is intended to be a star vehicle for Cena.
The Nukem video games follow muscular adventures of its titular protagonist, who initially was a mash-up of action hero tropes. The muscular cigar-chomping figure has been fighting aliens in order to save planet Earth since 1991 when the first game was released.
#2
re: Duke Nukem -- based on the videogame
Perfect.
#3
DVD Talk Legend
Thread Starter
re: Duke Nukem -- based on the videogame
Maybe, but given the history of game-to-film adaptations, how likely is it going to be any good?
#5
DVD Talk Godfather
re: Duke Nukem -- based on the videogame
Duke hasn't been relevant in games for decades and I hate John Centa. This doesn't seem very appealing even as a gamer and a big fan of Duke Nukem 3D back in the day. Can't help but think it would just be a tame PG-13 movie too.
#6
DVD Talk Godfather & 2020 TOTY Winner
re: Duke Nukem -- based on the videogame
Yeah, it's an odd choice. Not only is it a moribund franchise, it's a really misogynistic one that will feel terribly tone-deaf and dated if it is done remotely accurately and feel totally whitewashed and unappealing to the franchise's fans if not. It's a lose-lose proposition.
#7
DVD Talk Legend
re: Duke Nukem -- based on the videogame
In the age of gamer gate and SJW feminist lunacy running crazy in Hollywood. I would love to see a true Duke Nukem movie, if anyone can do it unapologetically it’s Michael Bay and Platinum Dunes.
Last edited by Bluelitespecial; 01-23-18 at 12:04 AM.
#8
DVD Talk Godfather & 2020 TOTY Winner
re: Duke Nukem -- based on the videogame
And if there's one person in this forum who I would have expected to be thrilled at the thought of a Duke Nukem movie...
#9
DVD Talk Legend
re: Duke Nukem -- based on the videogame
If John Cena is looking to shed his kiddie image this would be the movie to do it.
#10
DVD Talk Gold Edition
re: Duke Nukem -- based on the videogame
The shareware was released in 1996.
Agreed.
It's a dumb idea to make a true-to-the-core Duke movie right now.
It had its time...and that was long ago.
IF a movie does come out these negotiations, it would be completely unrecognizable to the game.
This doesn't seem very appealing even as a gamer and a big fan of Duke Nukem 3D back in the day. Can't help but think it would just be a tame PG-13 movie too.
It's a dumb idea to make a true-to-the-core Duke movie right now.
It had its time...and that was long ago.
IF a movie does come out these negotiations, it would be completely unrecognizable to the game.
#12
DVD Talk Legend
re: Duke Nukem -- based on the videogame
I'll watch it. Make it in the tone of Deadpool and it should be fine. Cena is good casting for something like this.
#14
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
re: Duke Nukem -- based on the videogame
This completely. Cena is a good fit as long as they let him go nutso with it and it has an R rating. It shouldn't take itself too seriously either. PG-13 is a failure, I won't even waste my time. Realistic chances are that this movie is going to be horrible, but there is a chance that it will be pretty freaking good too, and that's what I'm hoping for.
#15
Moderator
re: Duke Nukem -- based on the videogame
Yeah, it's an odd choice. Not only is it a moribund franchise, it's a really misogynistic one that will feel terribly tone-deaf and dated if it is done remotely accurately and feel totally whitewashed and unappealing to the franchise's fans if not. It's a lose-lose proposition.
#16
DVD Talk Legend
re: Duke Nukem -- based on the videogame
I hope not that sounds terrible. This movie got me thinking it would be the perfect Cannon Movie if the property was around in the 80s.
#17
DVD Talk Legend
Thread Starter
re: Duke Nukem -- based on the videogame
I have to wonder if this will end up DTV.
#18
DVD Talk Hero
re: Duke Nukem -- based on the videogame
Yeah, it's an odd choice. Not only is it a moribund franchise, it's a really misogynistic one that will feel terribly tone-deaf and dated if it is done remotely accurately and feel totally whitewashed and unappealing to the franchise's fans if not. It's a lose-lose proposition.
#19
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
#20
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
re: Duke Nukem -- based on the videogame
Naw...Duke should team up with a squad of women, so you have Melissa McCarthy, Leslie Jones, Kate McKinnon, and Kristen Wiig in the film...I can picture some DVD Talkers heads literally exploding at this casting news.
Anyway, misogynistic or not the film would have a bad ass dude mowing down Nazis, so even if the film was not women friendly everyone loves seeing Nazis get nuked on film, so at least this film would have that in its favor.
Anyway, misogynistic or not the film would have a bad ass dude mowing down Nazis, so even if the film was not women friendly everyone loves seeing Nazis get nuked on film, so at least this film would have that in its favor.
#21
DVD Talk Legend
re: Duke Nukem -- based on the videogame
"Women Friendly", you have to be joking, the Video Game is for men, their opinion mean's nothing when it comes to this movie. "Nazis", I think your thinking of Wolfenstein. Michael Bay and Platinum Dunes knows the audience, I think he would deliver in who its aimed for.
#22
DVD Talk Hero
re: Duke Nukem -- based on the videogame
That casting makes me explode. But not in the way you're thinking.
#23
re: Duke Nukem -- based on the videogame
Duke Nukem, the 1990s video game that helped popularize the first-person shooter genre, is getting the feature film treatment.
Legendary Entertainment, the company behind Dune and the Godzilla monster movie series, has picked up the movie rights from Gearbox, with Cobra Kai creators Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg on board to produce.
Legendary will also produce, as will Jean Julien Baronnet (Assassin’s Creed) of Marla Studios, which specializes on video game adaptations. Heald, Hurtwitz and Schlossberg are producing via their banner, Counterbalance Entertainment.
Launched with a self-titled debut in 1991 from Apogee Software, later called 3D Realms, Nukem is $1 billion video game franchise that began life as a platform game for personal computers. When the third game, Duke Nukem 3D, came out in 1996, it became not only a critical hit but one that helped usher in the ubiquity of first-person games for years to come. After laying low for years and stalled development, the franchise came back in 2011, after Gearbox acquired 3D Realms, with Duke Nukem Forever.
Nukem centers on its titular hero, modeled on certain attributes from 1980s action movies heroes (including catchphrases), who fights an alien invasion in Los Angeles. He travels from strip clubs and movie sets to moon bases and spaceships, dealing with mutated LAPD officers, women used in alien incubators, and the Cycloid Emperor.
A search for a writer to tackle the material is underway. And while no director is on board, the door is open for one of the Counterbalance team to potentially sit behind the camera.
With its over-the-top action movie stylings, it’s no surprise that Hollywood has been trying to adapt the game into a feature for quite a while. Various indie producers have attempted to develop Nukem, though none got very far. Gearbox had a Nukem project in development at Paramount with John Cena attached to star over four years ago, but that stalled out.
That led Gearbox to become more deliberate in its Hollywood strategy for adaptations of its video games and it now has one already on deck: Borderlands, directed by Eli Roth and featuring an all-star cast including Cate Blanchett and Kevin Hart. Lionsgate is the behind the movie which is expected to be released later in 2022.
The Counterbalance trio made a name for themselves in the franchise comedy spheres: Heald penned the Hot Tub Time Machine franchise for MGM while Hurwitz and Schlossberg first wrote then later took over directing the Harold & Kumar comedies. They re-imagined The Karate Kid for a new generation with Cobra Kai, a runaway hit for Netflix that also garnered numerous Emmy nominations. Heald, Hurwitz and Schlossberg are the creators, executive producers and showrunners of the series, writing and directing many of the episodes.
Counterbalance is repped by CAA. Heald is additionally repped by Behr Abramson while Hurwitz and Schlossberg are repped by Hansen Jacobson.
Legendary Entertainment, the company behind Dune and the Godzilla monster movie series, has picked up the movie rights from Gearbox, with Cobra Kai creators Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg on board to produce.
Legendary will also produce, as will Jean Julien Baronnet (Assassin’s Creed) of Marla Studios, which specializes on video game adaptations. Heald, Hurtwitz and Schlossberg are producing via their banner, Counterbalance Entertainment.
Launched with a self-titled debut in 1991 from Apogee Software, later called 3D Realms, Nukem is $1 billion video game franchise that began life as a platform game for personal computers. When the third game, Duke Nukem 3D, came out in 1996, it became not only a critical hit but one that helped usher in the ubiquity of first-person games for years to come. After laying low for years and stalled development, the franchise came back in 2011, after Gearbox acquired 3D Realms, with Duke Nukem Forever.
Nukem centers on its titular hero, modeled on certain attributes from 1980s action movies heroes (including catchphrases), who fights an alien invasion in Los Angeles. He travels from strip clubs and movie sets to moon bases and spaceships, dealing with mutated LAPD officers, women used in alien incubators, and the Cycloid Emperor.
A search for a writer to tackle the material is underway. And while no director is on board, the door is open for one of the Counterbalance team to potentially sit behind the camera.
With its over-the-top action movie stylings, it’s no surprise that Hollywood has been trying to adapt the game into a feature for quite a while. Various indie producers have attempted to develop Nukem, though none got very far. Gearbox had a Nukem project in development at Paramount with John Cena attached to star over four years ago, but that stalled out.
That led Gearbox to become more deliberate in its Hollywood strategy for adaptations of its video games and it now has one already on deck: Borderlands, directed by Eli Roth and featuring an all-star cast including Cate Blanchett and Kevin Hart. Lionsgate is the behind the movie which is expected to be released later in 2022.
The Counterbalance trio made a name for themselves in the franchise comedy spheres: Heald penned the Hot Tub Time Machine franchise for MGM while Hurwitz and Schlossberg first wrote then later took over directing the Harold & Kumar comedies. They re-imagined The Karate Kid for a new generation with Cobra Kai, a runaway hit for Netflix that also garnered numerous Emmy nominations. Heald, Hurwitz and Schlossberg are the creators, executive producers and showrunners of the series, writing and directing many of the episodes.
Counterbalance is repped by CAA. Heald is additionally repped by Behr Abramson while Hurwitz and Schlossberg are repped by Hansen Jacobson.
#24
Banned
Re: Duke Nukem -- based on the videogame