PONG official movie announced

by Blake Snow { Dec 29th 2005 at 2:30PM }

Atari CEO, Bruno Bonnell, confirmed today that the company will be working on a movie adaptation of PONG due for a late 2006 theater release. Way I Play writes: "Few details have been released about the plot of the movie, but director Paul W.S. Anderson let a few hints slip out. 'There will be awesome hand to hand combat, I can tell you that much,' blurted Anderson. 'If you’ve played PONG, it will be like discovering it for the first time all over again. If you’ve never played PONG, it will be like discovering it twice. Twice much,' continued the Mortal Kombat director.

The screen play will be written by Steven E. de Souza, know for other video game movies such as Street Fighter and Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life. Souza told Variety that “PONG is the classic story that all other video games are based on. PONG: The Official Movie of the Game will take you past the pixels.”

[Thanks, Aric]

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Jago @ Dec 29th 2005 2:38PM

Oh for the love of god please tell me this is a joke or something... X_X

Conn @ Dec 29th 2005 2:39PM

ALRIGHT!!11

DankLogic @ Dec 29th 2005 2:39PM

i really hope this is a joke.

Spence @ Dec 29th 2005 2:44PM

RIP Atari.

Fuzz @ Dec 29th 2005 2:47PM

It must be April Fools. . . first, the Pac Man movie-

http://www.kotaku.com/gaming/pacman/pacman-movie-promises-to-put-uwe-boll-to-shame-145565.php

now this. . .I think i need another rum and eggnog. Or maybe just more rum.

papari @ Dec 29th 2005 2:49PM

HOLY CRAP OH GOD PLEASE NO!!!

David Lane @ Dec 29th 2005 2:50PM

Dumbest. Idea. Ever.

First Doom: The Movie and now this? Do they do movie proposals in the MIDDLE of studio director's coke binges now?

Doom had no story. Marine on mars. Demons. Kill everything. There.

And as little story as THAT had, Pong had even LESS. Let's see them make an Oscar out of this-- I'll slit my wrists.

Aaron @ Dec 29th 2005 2:51PM

That is the dumbest thing I have ever heard

Gimbal @ Dec 29th 2005 2:52PM

Is there any word on casting yet?

Erzengel @ Dec 29th 2005 2:53PM

Muhaha..!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

Kat @ Dec 29th 2005 2:54PM

I could maybe see a documentary about the history of pong, or some sort of fictional story based around it with some sort of pong-playing tournament involved. That could explain the fist-fight thing.

But outside of those contexts, I couldn't possibly see it being any good or having any idea what else it could be about.

I'm currently kind-of imagining a movie like Kingpin when I think of this.

Maybe when it's released on tv I'll actually consider watching it.

joey @ Dec 29th 2005 2:57PM

how bout when they tried to make HOTD into a movie.

xej @ Dec 29th 2005 2:58PM

This is obviously...scratch that, HOPEFULLY, a joke.

Christopher Joseph @ Dec 29th 2005 2:59PM

WTF!?

Pong the movie... how FUCKING retarded.

ESPECIALLY if Paul Anderson is going to direct it.

AND Steven E. WRITEING IT?! Didn't the movies he wrote SUCK ASS?!

Wow... fucking STUPID.

sean @ Dec 29th 2005 3:06PM

This has late night joke all over it.

Doctor Setebos @ Dec 29th 2005 3:07PM

This was funnier when the Game Rag posted it:

http://www.thegamerag.com/archives/2005/12/ang_lee_agrees_to_direct_pong.php

JRM @ Dec 29th 2005 3:09PM

this is the 2nd dumbest idea. the dumbest was making DOOM.

Ross Miller @ Dec 29th 2005 3:09PM

I'd be surprised if it wasn't a joke. Maybe a movie based on guys who play Pong - y'know, like Grandma's Boy, only with actual humor. However, if this IS real...

Imagine the final showdown, between two well-respected Pong players. They stare intently into each other's eyes, the fire burning bright in their pupils. Ready, set, go!

...

...

man, Pong is a slow f-king game to watch. How dramatic can you make a 2-bit title whose primary movement is as slow as a drunken 16-yr old driving home at night on New Year's Eve? I've seen more drama in those GameTap commercials.

miguel @ Dec 29th 2005 3:12PM

You all realize this means the end is near don't you?

unreal mccoy @ Dec 29th 2005 3:13PM

it will only be good is Uwe Boll directs!

Abraham @ Dec 29th 2005 3:13PM

This must be an April Fool's joke. Wait a minute... it's still December! Well, I wish you good luck with the movie. You're gonna need it.

Kastrola, mn3njalnik

Eric @ Dec 29th 2005 3:14PM

It is filed in the humor section.

GlitchCog @ Dec 29th 2005 3:21PM

My favorite character was always the left paddle. Man could it ever move up and down. I hope they cast Bruce Willis for it.

Croz @ Dec 29th 2005 3:21PM

I thought the Pong: The Movie had been done years ago...

http://files.freeonlinegames.com/1135887584/games/humorpong/humorpong.swf

bandersnatch @ Dec 29th 2005 3:23PM

It's a joke. Look very carefully at the content category, it's filed under -- humor.

blarney @ Dec 29th 2005 3:25PM

That's awesome. Will there be a nude scene?

AceMilo @ Dec 29th 2005 3:29PM

Oh dear god... Well, if its real, they definitely picked the best director for the job, paul w s anderson is my most hated director of all time, I hate him more than uwe boll. After seeing avp, nothing will ever compare to his bile that he calls movies. I'm sure its probably a joke (I hope).

Dmek @ Dec 29th 2005 3:41PM

The real question is if they will make:

PONG : The official game of the movie of the game

Conn @ Dec 29th 2005 3:47PM

It'd be more like Ang Lee's PONG: The official game of the official movie of the game.

Jellodyne @ Dec 29th 2005 4:09PM

I can't believe it took this long -- Pong The Movie should have been George Lucas's followup to THX-1138. I just hope they come out with a Pong The Movie: The Videogame like they did with the Street Fighter movie.

Glitch: Bruce Willis would totally be awesome for the left paddle, but tell me Steve Buscemi wouldn't be a PERFECT right paddle.

Randy @ Dec 29th 2005 4:40PM

Sweet! Any word on release date? I can't find it at IMDB, but if I can get a date, I'll know when to start camping the theatre to get the first ticket for this. Man, I can't wait! I'm guessing it will be a story about the people inside the pong lines who move the things up and down, as well as the dude who drives the pong ball and how hard it is for him to calculate where to drive next after bouncing off of the paddles. I'm guessing that takes some careful figuring to pull off real-time.

Maybe the ball driver uses GPS to see exactly where he is and exactly where he is heading? Oh wait, he can't know his position and his velocity at the same time, can he? Damn you physics!!!

RagManX

ts @ Dec 29th 2005 4:46PM

this movie will be the reason for me to upgrade to HDTV

Stu @ Dec 29th 2005 5:04PM

If it was something like Pirates of Silicon Valley I could see that. However it is obvious this is some kind of gag / tomfoolery, what with the description of the movie involving combat.

TechnoGoy @ Dec 29th 2005 5:05PM

What???

No Uwe!!!!!!

sintax @ Dec 29th 2005 5:18PM

Not going to happen... but if it did, I hope it will be in the same "mocumentary" style as the films 'Best In Show' and 'A Mighty Wind'.

mybigfinger @ Dec 29th 2005 5:28PM

Why are we going backwards? Has someone made the pilgramage to the mountaintop to visit the old seer? Is this all we get for years of unbrideled devotion to gaming prowess,not to mention the bleeding,pulpy fingertips,the carpal tunnel,or.......?? I need an answer soon cus I have DOOM 3 on pause.