Easily one of the busiest filmmakers in Hollywood, with an ever-growing slate of movies in development, Guillermo del Toro has added another project to his resume: a videogame.
Del Toro and videogame publisher THQ are producing Insane, a horror adventure that will bow in 2013.
The property, which is being planned as a trilogy, marks del Toros first foray into the videogames biz, a sector of entertainment the filmmaker has long wanted to develop for considering hes an avid gamer.
With this new series of videogames, I want to take players to a place they have never seen before, where every single action makes them question their own senses of morality and reality, del Toro said.
Del Toro will serve as external creative director for the Insane games, working closely with Danny Bilson, THQs executive VP of core games; Paul DeMeo, THQs director of fiction development; and Volition, the inhouse studio that will develop the trilogy for THQ.
Volitions credits include the Red Faction and Saints Row franchises.
The gamemakers are keeping a tight lid on the overall concept beyond revealing a title and logo as a teaser during Spikes Video Game Awards on Saturday, but del Toro and THQ envision the property as more than just a game, with the duo also collaborating on other forms of entertainment tied to Insane, such as books, animated films, toys and other licensed merchandise.
Naturally, Insane could wind up being adapted into a full-length feature, as well. THQ owns the intellectual property rights to the Insane games, while del Toro will maintain the film rights.Were really focusing on the game first, Bilson told Daily Variety. Were not worrying about if its a good movie or book. Were focused on making a fantastic videogame. Later on well discuss it. Bilson added that while THQ is actively looking at film versions of its other games, Its funny that the one were making with a great filmmaker is the one we dont talk about.
With Bilson having penned such films and TV shows as The Rocketeer, The Flash and The Sentinel before going on to help create multiple games based on the James Bond franchise, THQ has been keen on attracting more established filmmakers to develop games for the publisher.
We are excited to bring (del Toros) talents to our medium, Bilson said. We are confident his unique point of view will create visually stunning adventures, filled with rich and rewarding game play.Del Toro is fitting development of the games in between directing duties on a number of films, including a 3D adaptation of H.P. Lovecrafts At the Mountains of Madness, for Universal, with James Cameron producing.
He also has his own versions of Frankenstein, Jekyll and Hyde and Slaughterhouse Five in the works, as well as Disneys Haunted Mansion, the animated Trollhunters and the return of the Incredible Hulk to TV for Marvel.
Thats in addition to three-book series The Strain, which del Toro is writing with Chuck Hogan.
Insane announcement also follows this weeks formation of Mirada, a Marina del Rey-based creative studio founded by del Toro, helmer Mathew Cullen, cinematographer Guillermo Navarro and executive producer Javier Jimenez.We have never felt like we have any access problems, any focus problems, or any lack of passion for what were doing (from Del Toro), Bilson said. Were trying to create what we think genre fans would enjoy the most in a next generation cinematic videogame experience.
