The same team working with Sony and Insomniac Games on the Ratchet & Clank CGI movie has another Sony game heading to the big screen. Hollywood production company Blockade Entertainment will bring Heavenly Sword to theaters internationally (and potentially in the U.S.) and to Blu-ray and DVD during the summer of 2014.
The action game, which was created by Ninja Theory, featured the direction, performance capture and voice acting of Andy Serkis. Although Serkis was too busy working on The Hobbit trilogy to reprise his role in the movie, actress Anna Torv from Fringe will reprise her role as Nariko in this computer-generated adaptation. Brad Foxhoven, a producer on the movie, offered a deep dive into what gamers can expect from the film and how it might impact a video game sequel in this exclusive interview.
What is it about Heavenly Sword that you felt worked as a movie?
There were two aspects of the game that really stood out for us—one was the story itself and the other was the visual cinematic style of the artwork and animation. With the story, we appreciated the themes of sacrifice, betrayal and the strong heroic journey for Nariko. Given some latitude to expand on the mythology, we included a key element that explores the idea that a “chosen one” does exist and Nariko needs to find him.
As for the visual look, the characters were some of the coolest ones we had come across. Particularly Nariko and Kai – their look and development were so unique. We had a lot of fun with them in this film.
How have you worked with the developers on this movie?
We worked closely with Sony Computer Entertainment Europe and Ninja Theory in the early phases of development. Ninja Theory were in the process of moving on to another game project, so their help was really in those early months with the art assets, talking about the mythology and getting a sense of the personalities and motivations of the characters. The rest of the time was spent with SCEE and their people—mainly Mark Green and James Shepard—exploring how to put this expansive story into a 90-minute film, but also do something that explored areas that the game didn’t.
What role did Andy Serkis have with this movie, having directed the cinematics in the game?
Unfortunately, he wasn’t involved in the making of the film. We did however get to learn quite a bit from what he accomplished with the game. His stellar work in motion capture, character development and directing of the cinematics gave us a lot of material to work from and use as a guide for the film itself.
There is some conflicting information on the release of the film – will it be released theatrically?
We had a very small budget for this film – and what we accomplished with that amount has surprised many people. We took the film to Cannes earlier this year to get a feel for what the market would say, and we were pleasantly surprised that there was a good amount of interest in releasing the film theatrically in multiple markets worldwide. We are screening the film at AFM (American Film Market) next week, so we won’t know which markets are locked until afterwards.
For fans of the game, what are you adding or exploring beyond the original’s story?
We were very thankful that Sony allowed us to expand on the story a bit. The game tells the story of how Nariko is tasked with keeping the sword from King Bohan, ultimately wielding the sword herself. In our story, we insert the twist that the rightful wielder was born (Loki, played by Thomas Jane), and she has to get that sword to him to help defeat the King. What happens to Loki along the way, though, is one of the best moments in the film, and unfortunately we’re sworn to secrecy.
What voice actors did you work with on this movie? Anyone from the game?
We worked with several actors. Anna Torv, as Nariko, is the only one from the original game cast. When she first played Nariko in the game, she had yet to begin her role in the Fringe TV series, but by the time we were in production, Fringe was already on the air, so we were thrilled we were able to schedule the time for her to reprise her role. Joining her in the film is Alfred Molina as King Bohan (replacing Andy) and Thomas Jane as Loki. Both well-known voice actors Nolan North and Barry Dennen are on board as well.
What impact did this movie’s technology and production pipeline have on Ratchet & Clank?
We began making this film a few years ago, and ultimately it was what led Sony and our investors to believe we could do even bigger films. We shared with many other film and game makers that the two pipelines could help one another. Meaning, the work done with a game and in a game could guide the production of a film. We used many of the game assets from Heavenly Sword as our guideposts throughout production. This access shortened our pre-production and development process considerably, allowing us a much greater cost savings than we could then use in the production itself.
How do you go about choosing games to translate into films?
For us, it comes down to the quality of both the story and the cinematic features of the game. We ask ourselves whether the central characters are compelling enough to have a story based around them? Was the game itself well-received? Did the fans react well to the main characters? The game’s own success acts as a litmus test on whether fans will want to watch a feature-length movie. It is also important to make sure the game creators/developers are on board. Without them and their support, none of this is possible.
Why do you think so many live action game movies have failed?
The challenge comes from adapting an interactive storyline where the player acts as the actual main character. Filmmakers need to use the games as a springboard and inspiration for the films, and need to understand just what made the game popular with fans in the first place. I think that often gets lost somewhere along the way, and you end up with a film that has the same name and characters as the game, but is otherwise completely dissimilar.
How will this film’s CGI compare to the cinematics from the game?
We used the game cinematics as a barometer for our film – that we needed to boost our look above that level to be considered an actual film. Otherwise, the viewer is just watching gameplay, and that would defeat the purpose of the film adaptation.
What impact could this movie have on expanding the game franchise beyond the original adventure?
So far, Sony has been happy with this film. There are certainly people within the organization that would love to see the franchise continue, but that’s not something we can properly comment on. Our view is biased.