Well, with ’80s videogame staple “Asteroids” now seeking a director — Roland Emmerich was recently offered the director’s chair — producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura isn’t wasting any time in getting another bad idea off the ground.
THR reports that the man behind “Transformers,” “G.I. Joe,” “Doom” and “Imagine That” is pairing up with Odd Lot Entertainment’s Gigi Pritzker to bring “Space Invaders” to a multiplex near you. The game, which featured a bunch of pixels shooting other pixels in what was a crude representation of a space battle, will likely be turned into some kind of sub-Michael Bay mega-tentpole. We can’t imagine the point of developing a movie based on a game no one plays anymore, though I suppose any tenuous tie with something that can be called a franchise is easier to get financing for. But it’s not all empty special effects and nutrition-less movies from di Bonaventura and he has something with a bit more substance in development as well.
Variety reports that the producer will weave his magic on “Five Against A Bullet” recently acquired by Sony. Penned by Alex Litvak (“The Three Musketeers,” “Predators“) the thriller centers on a Mexican politician “who hires the five best bodyguards from around the world for his personal security.” EXPLOSIONS! Okay, maybe this one will be pretty dumb and brainless too. But it will be cheap, with a meager budget of $30-35 million which is practically the catering budget on most di Bonaventura movies.
No directors attached to either movie yet, but the wheels are likely in motion.
