Warner Bros. Seeks Space Invaders Film Rights

With Universal developing a film based on Asteroids and Fox considering a Missile Command movie, Warner Bros. is apparently looking to bring a classic arcade game to theatres too. The film studio is is reportedly negotiating with Taito to secure feature rights for 1978 vertical shooter Space Invaders. The film studio already has three Hollywood names to attach to the project as producers, according to a report from the Los Angeles Times: Mark Gordon (Saving Private Ryan), Jason Blum (Paranormal Activity), and Guymon Casady. Iconic arcade classic Space Invaders is a recognizable brand, but its premise -- destroying 8-bit invading aliens -- is so simple that to say it will need some massaging to create a two-hour film narrative is an understatement. As with the Asteroids and Missile Command films, it seems likely that virtually any Hollywood blockbuster featuring loose science fiction trappings, ships and explosions could be assigned the Space Invaders brand name.