Beowulf and Avatar Game Unveiled

Ubisoft has announced that upcoming movies Beowulf and Avatar will be developed into games and launched for various gaming platforms like the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3.

Beowulf is an upcoming feature film from Academy Award-winning director Robert Zemeckis while Avatar is a film written and directed by Academy Award-winning film maker James Cameron.

The Beowulf

The Beowulf video game takes players deep into groundbreaking director Robert Zemeckis’ vision of the classic saga, Beowulf. Gamers live the life of Beowulf, the legendary Norse warrior with the strength of 30 men who is torn between the nobility and brutality within him. Arrogant, self-serving and lustful for gold and glory, Beowulf will journey to Denmark to destroy a bloodthirsty beast wreaking havoc on a frigid land. As Beowulf, players lead their men into battle, slay the Titans of a dying age and crush the enemies that threaten to annihilate both their kingdom and people.

Ubisoft’s Creative Director, Gilles Matouba said, “Ubisoft, Paramount Pictures and Shangri-La Entertainment have been working extremely close in developing Beowulf. From the very beginning, we have had an unprecedented level of access to information and assets from the movie. This access, coupled with the creative and technological abilities of our team, has allowed us to capture aspects of the film and translate them perfectly into compelling gameplay elements such as the visceral hand-to-hand combat, dynamic swordplay and amazing visuals, while giving us the creative liberty to go even further by creating exclusive content for the game that is unexplored by the film and even the classic tale.”

The Avatar

Avatar is the story of an ex-Marine who finds himself thrust into hostilities on an alien planet filled with exotic life forms. As an Avatar, a human mind in an alien body, he finds himself torn between two worlds, in a desperate fight for his own survival and that of the indigenous people. Visual effects house WETA Digital, renowned for its work in “The Lord of the Rings” Trilogy and “King Kong,” will incorporate new intuitive CGI technologies to transform the environments and characters into photorealistic 3D imagery that will transport the audience into the alien world rich with imaginative vistas, creatures and characters.

Executive Vice President of Fox Licensing and Merchandising, Elie Dekel said, “James Cameron’s Avatar will re-define the movie-going experience forever. Cameron’s vision and innovative approach to film-making demand that we align this breakthrough project with the most talented and creative partners in the world. As we embark on the incredible journey that is Avatar, we are thrilled to be collaborating with Ubisoft on the development of the video game. After an extensive review, it became clear the talented Ubisoft team is uniquely able to bring Cameron’s vision into the interactive realm.” 

The Beowulf video game is scheduled for worldwide release in conjunction with the movie’s opening in November 2007 while the Avatar game is expected to release in conjunction with the movie’s planned opening in May 2009.

 See: www.ubisoft.com.au