David Hayter, the credited screenwriter on first X-Men movie, has signed on to write and produce a television series adaptation of the video game American McGee’s Alice. This show is coming our way from Radar Pictures, in association with Abandon Entertainment. Based on author Lewis Carroll’s stories Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass, American McGee’s Alice was designed by American James McGee, who had previously developed and designed the games Doom and Quake. The game was first released in 2000 and was followed by a sequel called Alice: Madness Returns in 2011.
The TV series will begin
after Alice returns from the trip through the Looking-Glass to find her house is burnt down and her parents have died in the fire. Alice is the only survivor of the terrible accident. After repeated attempts at suicide, she gets locked up inside a mental institution and is slowly wasting away there before she is summoned to Wonderland again by the White Rabbit. But this time it’s a Wonderland gone seriously bad and gory. The only chance for Alice to restore her peace of mind and find out more about the death of her parents is to fight through Wonderland and free it from the evil powers.
Hayter had this to say about the project (from The Hollywood Reporter):
American McGee’s Alice and Alice: Madness Returns game series is a groundbreaking reimagining of the classic tale. It takes you into the heart of a corrupted Wonderland and throws light into shadowy corners the world has never seen. I am beyond excited to bring this world of madness and wonder to a global audience.”
McGee added:
David Hayter brings imagination, experience, and stealth sneaking skills gained through successful missions in film, TV, and video games – a unique combination sure to make this adventure into Wonderland a successful one for the franchise and the fans. I am excited to be working with him and know the Alice fans will welcome him with mad affection.”
McGee is currently working on a new entry in the video game series, Alice: Asylum.
Hayter will be producing the American McGee’s Alice TV series alongside Anthony Tringali, Maria Frisk, Michael Napoliello, Karen Lauder, and Marcus Ticotin. Radar Pictures’ Ted Field is executive producer.
I’ve heard about American McGee’s Alice many times over the years, but have never played the game myself. It does sound like it could serve as the basis for an interesting TV show.
Have you played the games? If so, do you want to see a TV series version of the story? Let us know by leaving a comment below.