Dreamworks Has The Need For Speed

Dreamworks has purchased the rights to make a Need For Speed movie.

The Need for Speed franchise is one of the most successful gaming series ever. It takes car exotica and puts players in the driving seat as they race one another, dodge oncoming traffic and drift past law enforces in a fashion that is spectacularly exhilarating. You may be seated at the start of the race, but every rendition of the proven title will have you standing when you cross the finish line.

Today, Electronics Arts announced Dreamworks has purchased the rights to make a Need For Speed movie, with brothers George (She’s Out of My League) and John Gatins (Real Steel) writing the screenplay. The movie will be directed by Scott Waugh (Act of Valor) with filming commencing in 2013 for a 2014 release.

The script won’t be based on an existing title with Dreamworks opting to write a fresh script for the movie, one that continues “the tradition of the great car culture films of the 70s while being extremely faithful to the spirit of the videogame franchise.”

The franchise has sold over 140 million units worldwide and generated $4 billion in retail revenue. With these numbers, it’s a wonder they haven’t cashed in on a movie incarnation some time ago.