Video Game Movie 'Asteroids' Off-Earth Plot Revealed

Video Game Movie 'Asteroids' Off-Earth Plot Revealed + Emmerich?

June 8, 2011
Source: Vulture
by Alex Billington

A couple of years back (wow) it was announced that Universal was going to adapt the classic arcade game Asteroids, a game which consists of nothing but lines and dots, into a feature film. How? We now have the answer. Although we did write an article after the news saying what it would be "about", there wasn't much to the concept, which is what we're really looking to find out. Vulture is now reporting news that not only is Roland Emmerich (Independence Day, The Day After Tomorrow, 2012) the top choice for director - he's apparently been "offered" the job - but they also reveal more info about the plot and it sounds pretty cool.

We're not calling this as an Emmerich-directed movie yet, because he's only been offered the director's chair and there's no saying whether he'll take it. Emmerich seems to be focused on developing his own unique projects, from 2012 being a package he created to his more intimate Anonymous flick coming up. However, the plot and setup for this Asteroids movie needs a big director like Emmerich because it takes place... after Earth has already been destroyed by aliens. (Awesome.) Writing the script is Matt Lopez (Race to Witch Mountain, The Sorcerer's Apprentice) for Transformers franchise producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura.

Here's how Vulture goes on to explain what the concept for this Asteroids movie is all about:

"We're told it's an ersatz sequel to world-ending Emmerich films like Independence Day and 2012, but one in which the aliens have won. The remnants of human civilization are now living on far-flung colonies within an asteroid belt alongside aliens. The survivors were led to believe that this alien civilization was benevolent, rescuing them from doom, but ultimately discover that the aliens have engineered Earth's destruction, and soon will do the same for the rest of humankind."

Now, there's good and bad things about what they say. First, it reminds me of The Last Starfighter or even Wing Commander (dare I mention that film), which is exactly the epic space adventure movie I always want to see, especially out of something like an adaptation of Asteroids. Now that's the bad part - this is basically some sympathy-turns-to-revenge kind of story where we find out Earth was destroyed by aliens all along, we'll probably get a cool flashback, then watch as a young maverick starfighter takes on the asteroid belt. Sounds a bit cheesy, but what do you expect for what might potentially be a Roland Emmerich movie? This could either turn out great or terrible, and considering it's yet another video game adaptation, I'm worried.