Given the frustratingly slow pace of development for the long-planned WarGames remake at MGM, we were beginning to wonder whether Joshua the computer was right and the only winning move in this case is not to play. But that’s not the prevailing mood in Hollywood and so here comes the latest attempt: Dean Israelite is finalising a deal to direct the film, with executives pondering a shortlist of young actors for the lead that includes Ansel Elgort and Tye Sheridan.
Arash Amel, whose most recent script was Grace Of Monaco – no, wait, come back! – is just the latest writer to attempt the job of updating the story, which has already been through the keyboards of Zak Penn and Noah Oppenheim.
Israelite, who has recently made his feature debut with the Michael Bay-produced Project Almanac (due here next February), takes over from Seth Gordon, who had been attached for years but has left the film to focus on adapting video game franchise Uncharted for Sony.
Assuming it all comes together this time,** WarGames** will tell the modernised story of a young man who hacks into the wrong system and nearly launches World War III. The 1983 take was set at the height of the Cold War, so we’ll be intrigued to see what drives the rebooted tale. As for Elgort and Sheridan, they’re both busy rising actors, so there likely won’t be any actual casting announcements until this one is closer to becoming a reality…