1979's Apocalypse Now is one of those iconic films that lives long past it's release date. The films also gets credit for bringing the likes of Martin Sheen, Dennis Hopper, Robert Duvall and Marlon Brando into one single feature. The epic war drama missed out on a Best Picture award at the Oscars that year, yet the cult status has remained all this time later. So much so that director Francis Ford Coppola wants a new video game based on the movie.
This week the veteran filmmaker started a Kickstarter campaign to get the project off the ground, courtesy of the studio American Zoetrope. A project that Coppola co-founded with George Lucas. The idea will look at having a survival horror outlook for the user, traveling through the murky waters during the Vietnam War.
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The initial goal for Coppola and his team is to hit $900,000 to get the game up and running and the hope is that his story will get a reboot that caters to the younger generation. Speaking in a public statement, the director is eager to get as much money rolling in as possible.
“Forty years ago, I set out to make a personal art picture that could hopefully influence generations of viewers for years to come," started Coppola. "Today, I’m joined by new daredevils, a team who want to make an interactive version of Apocalypse Now, where you are Captain Benjamin Willard amidst the harsh backdrop of the Vietnam War. I’ve been watching video games grow into a meaningful way to tell stories, and I’m excited to explore the possibilities for Apocalypse Now for a new platform and a new generation.”
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In an in-depth look at video game adaptations from The Conversation, the figures don't support the genre at large. Whether it be titles like Assassin's Creed, Warcraft, Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, Lara Croft Tomb Raider, Super Mario Brothers or any other title in that category, the returns are simply not there to justify their existence.
"Despite big budgets and quality talent both in front of and behind the camera, most video game movies are commercial and critical failures," states the publication. "Most score below 20% on Rotten Tomatoes, with only The Angry Birds Movie (2016) – an animated adaption of an app – earning above 40%. Many fail to earn back their costs, and Warcraft, despite huge box office returns, hasn’t actually made money."
Perhaps Coppola might have the formula right, creating the movie first then bringing that to the gaming world.
Source: EW, The Conversation
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