Deadline has learned that Emmett/Furla/Oasis Films has picked up the rights to Atari's Centipede and Missile Command, and will produce and finance two movies based on the classic arcade games. Randall Emmett and George Furla will produce the projects, with Atari, Stephen Belafonte, Wayne Marc Godfrey and Robert Jones serving as executive producers.
In a statement, CEO Fred Chesnais said Atari is “thrilled to partner with Emmett/Furla/Oasis Films to develop feature films based on two of our most beloved titles. Centipede and Missile Command are part of Atari’s unparalleled and rich library of popular games and we cannot wait to see the movies come to life."
Emmett also added: "[These] immensely popular titles have been enjoyed by generations of gamers worldwide. We look forward to a very successful partnership and to bringing Centipede and Missile Command to the big screen.”
"Players battled against a pestilence fusillade that included the title critters, spiders, scorpions and fleas," in Centipede, and In Missile Command, "players had to protect six California cities from a barrage of ballistic missiles." Both were launched in 1980, and are considered by most to be two of the best games from the golden age of arcade video games. What are your thoughts on EFO Films and Atari's plans to bring Centipede and Missile Command to the big screen?