Report: Electronic Arts Plans Divine Comedy Adaptation

Electronic Arts is in the process of selling the movie rights to a forthcoming video game adaption of 14th century epic poem The Divine Comedy, according to a report from Hollywood trade paper Variety. Despite announcements yesterday of 600 job cuts, and recent confirmation of more conventional new titles such as a second Army of Two and Mercenaries 3, Variety claims that work is well underway on the game, thought to be codenamed Inferno. Additionally to the Variety report, Gamasutra has learned that the project is in early development at the EA Redwood Shores office of the firm, home to recent projects such as Dead Space. Although the description is vague, the game appears to be based on the first third of the poem, commonly referred to as Dante’s Inferno. The original describes in detail the nine circles of hell and was in part an allegory for cotemporary Florentine and Italian politics. According to Variety, the game will be a modern interpretation of the poem and “will have players fighting their way through the depths of hell”. No further description of the gameplay is offered. The report further states that movie studios Paramount, Universal, MGM and New Regency are all currently involved in talks, bidding for the movie rights. The game is claimed to be scheduled for release in late 2009, but has not officially been announced by EA.