Back in 2010, Patrick Jean scored a hefty blip on the awareness-o-meter with his short film Pixels (below), which saw ‘80s video game characters attacking the real New York City and turning the city’s actual blocks into virtual ones. Adam Sandler and Sony jumped on the idea for a feature film and now Sandler is set to star with Kevin James and Josh Gad also in talks to sign on.
Unlike some of his cotemporaries, Jean didn’t actually win the chance to direct: that job is going to Chris Columbus, who has been considering the idea since last year.
The feature-length version of the concept, written by Sandler veterans Tim Herlihy and Tim Dowling, starts with the idea of aliens using video game icons to attack humanity, and four champion arcade gamers (including Gad and James) are summoned back into action to help save the world. It all sounds like a blend of Futurama’s Anthology Of Interest II segment Raiders Of The Lost Arcade, underrated '90s cartoon Reboot and Seth Gordon’s King Of Kong. Sandler and co realised that too: they have Gordon acting as an executive producer. Wonder if they’ll try for a Billy Mitchell cameo?
Gad was last heard in Frozen, playing (and singing as) enthusiastic snowman Olaf. He’ll next crop up in Zach Braff’s** Wish I Was Here** and 2015 comedy The Wedding Ringer. James recently finished comedy drama **Little Boy **and has a Paul Blart: Mall Cop sequel gearing up.