Variety has reported that writer and director Brad Peyton, best known for 2018’s Rampage and 2015’s San Andreas, is set to tackle another video game movie adaptation in the form of Sniper Elite.
Sniper Elite will follow elite sniper Karl Fairburne through a character-driven and action-packed chase with a Nazi assassin through London at the height of the Blitz during World War II. The cat-and-mouse game will see Fairburne attempting to save British Prime Minister Winston Churchill from the assassin who intends to kill him.
The film is set to be directed and co-written by Peyton, along with Gary Graham, who has worked on the script for A Garden at the End of the World and is penning a reboot of I Am Legend for Warner Brothers. Marla Studios‘ own Jean-Julien Baronnet, who also produced the big-screen adaptation of Assassin’s Creed, is set to produce the film alongside Rebellion CEO Jason Kingsley.
Rebellion explained how the adaptation will look to reveal the hidden story of Fairburne, saying it is “marrying clever, stylish action with strong characters and incredible, twisted situations,” and that when bombs are raining down on the British capital, Fairburne “will have to make a choice between the fate of the war and confronting his deepest secret.” It is clear the studio will really dive into character development in this flick, which should serve to make it more emotional and exciting than ever.
Baronnet, who is also former CEO of Luc Besson’s EuropaCorp (2008’s Taken) and former CEO of Ubisoft Motion Pictures, explains how Fairburne being a German and working for the allies is one of the most intriguing elements of his backstory, also telling Variety, “It’s a very, very character-oriented show, where our two snipers are linked by these intimate secrets.” Peyton also added in a statement that:
“There’s so much tension and character in this story, the potential for taut, exciting action is all there. What’s amazing about Sniper Elite is its focus on stealth and strategy, but also fun and incredible twists. I can’t wait for audiences to follow and care for a hero that will have to face the most dangerous and challenging mission of his life.”
The Sniper Elite franchise was first released in 2005 and has sold over 30 million units divided throughout eight different spinoffs, including the recent game Zombie Army 4: Dead War. The Sniper Elite film will mark Peyton’s second video game adaption, and also add on to the list of current video game film adaptions in development including Sonic The Hedgehog 2, Uncharted, Mortal Kombat and more!
Though not much is known yet about the cast of the film, it is sure to be a character-driven and action-packed story that all gamers and non-gamers can enjoy alike. Be sure to keep up with Collider for more upcoming information.
via Collider