Max Payne going to the movies

Fox turning Remedy and Rockstar's gritty shooter into a proper film noir--no cast or director is yet attached.

It seems like hardly a week has gone by in 2005 without a movie studio scooping up the rights to a video game. To date, the year has seen deals to bring Halo, Hitman, American McGee's Alice, and others to the big screen.

This week, it was Max Payne's turn. The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that 20th Century Fox is bankrolling a film version of the gritty third-person shooter from Rockstar Games and Finnish developer Remedy. The studio has inked a deal with the production companies Collision Entertainment and Firm Films to produce the Payne adaptation, which had been previously linked to Dimension Films. Scott Faye (the upcoming The Reaper) and Julie Yorn (Formula 51) will produce the project, which currently has no cast, director, or release date.

Easily one of the most cinematic games of the last few years, Max Payne profiles the titular antihero, a modern-day New York undercover cop whose wife and baby daughter are brutally murdered. If that wasn't bad enough, Payne is also framed for a fellow cop's murder and becomes the subject of a massive manhunt by the police, the Mob, and a shadowy criminal organization. Besides sporting John Woo-style action and Matrix-esque bullet-time effects, the game also borrowed heavily from graphic novels, even using comic book-style storyboards in lieu of cutscenes.

The original Max Payne was released to rave reviews in 2001 for the PC, PlayStation 2, and Xbox, and was followed by a sequel, Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne, on all three platforms in 2004. A Game Boy Advance version shipped in 2003. A third installment in the series is under development as well.

36 Comments

  • Laiska_pummi

    Posted Jul 16, 2009 2:47 am PT

    The movie wasn't too bad. But it was kinda of disappointment.
    Maybe I was too fan of the games.

  • villain2

    Posted Oct 23, 2008 6:14 pm PT

    Yeah, we saw what happened, they totally blew it.

    The description in this article does not fit the movie we saw.

    http://webchannel24.com/entertainment/articles.php?pageid=articles&articleID=935

  • IzE-DraGoN

    Posted Jul 15, 2008 5:41 am PT

    "JerecMasta

    One man. one voice. Looks and sounds just like him if he uses an american english accent. Clive Owen."

    I agreed 100% with you, but let's see what happens with Mark Walhberg!!

  • JerecMasta

    Posted Oct 1, 2007 2:54 am PT

    One man. one voice. Looks and sounds just like him if he uses an american english accent. Clive Owen. Was in shoot em up, sin city, king arthur, and some other great movies. if you want a good comparison to max payne tho, watch sin city. Hes definatly the best max payne. no bruce willice. no keanu reeves. no cristian bale. No al pacino or mel gibson. It has to be Clive Owen. watch sin city. You'll all see things my way. or you'll just die like innocent little kittens.

  • jon62

    Posted Sep 29, 2007 11:45 pm PT

    never make a movie about a game, it will horrible! just like "Doom", "house of the dead" etc...

    jon62

  • Jshaw71

    Posted Sep 23, 2007 2:01 pm PT

    theres no need for it to be a movie, the game tells an awesome story and the movie companies will f*** everything up, as they always do

  • majesticcryx

    Posted Aug 2, 2007 5:34 pm PT

    Max Payne....I´m shocked.From the game to the big screens,I think that is just osm.I think that the most similar actor to Max Payne is Bruce Willis.He is just perfect.

  • MonkeyBoyMarty

    Posted Jul 30, 2007 2:03 pm PT

    I don't know what they'll do about Max's actor. Bruce Willis in the era of the first Die Hard would be utterly PERFECT. But he's too old, now.

  • dekmal

    Posted May 1, 2007 3:22 am PT

    i want max payne3 on ps2....... i can wait to buy.....

  • _NinjitsU_

    Posted Apr 11, 2007 10:22 am PT

    doesan't seem so likely....

  • yaser_n63

    Posted Apr 3, 2007 5:51 pm PT

    Wo0o I Loved :X See U Soon Max

  • Darker_88

    Posted Mar 21, 2007 8:29 am PT

    when the max payne 3 comes i wont to buy that

  • RazorHunter257

    Posted Mar 19, 2007 6:48 am PT

    I think that Al Pacino could be the best old max payne, but for the young max payne, Mel Gibson is probably the most similiar

  • hscs

    Posted Mar 18, 2007 10:07 am PT

    I think Mel Gibson would be great to act on Max Payne movie, besides he looks like payne he has the necessary skills to perform very well.

  • Vol_Djin

    Posted Mar 2, 2007 12:50 pm PT

    Max Payne....one of the most memorable games I ever had the honor of playing. Though I'm pretty sure the movie won't come out in the near future, Christian Bale is the name that pops to mind, as for the third installment....one can only hope...

  • nene79

    Posted Feb 10, 2007 5:54 pm PT

    I hope it becomes real, its a great game indeed...

  • WestleyViau

    Posted Jan 14, 2007 10:49 am PT

    This movie needs to come out....
    Out of every single video game movie thats coming out, Max payne has to, i dont care if they dont make halo, hitman, games that i love, But Max payne HAS TO COME TO MOTION PICTURE, no if's or but's this is a must for a movie because Max payne is thee best video game character to date and a movie would be the best thing to hit hollywood.

  • Wittesneeuwyeti

    Posted Jan 2, 2007 12:05 am PT

    Wow thats gonna be great! The only problem is the voice from Max Payne. Its one of the importest things in the game (for my meant) And and James Mccafrey does't look like Payne. Maybe Mel Gibson plays Max and James Mcccafrey voice it over?

  • WarZone122

    Posted Dec 17, 2006 7:22 am PT

    Great idea! Novels and Painkillers!!!

  • MrBlake

    Posted Dec 16, 2006 9:08 pm PT

    I think Christian Bale would play Max Payne brilliantly. He does the gritty hero role so well. I.E. Batman Begins, Equilibrium, I mean the guy is like a much much much better version of Keanu Reeves.

  • step2ice

    Posted Dec 12, 2006 5:34 pm PT

    Michael Madsen, Mickey Rourke or a unknown actor, everything else would suck.
    And I hope it doesn't turns out to be a hollywood teenager movie.
    A director like Rodriguez or Verhoeven could also help to bring Max to life.

  • bubblesbarry182

    Posted Dec 10, 2006 1:35 pm PT

    i hope it comes out for the 360. a movie would be great and so will the game

  • zux2000

    Posted Nov 7, 2006 12:33 pm PT

    cool

  • megadisc

    Posted Oct 25, 2006 9:59 pm PT

    I really hope that Keanu reaves will be able to play this creature !

  • Naktaraht

    Posted Sep 14, 2006 4:42 pm PT

    I hope FOX really tries to make a good film with all the game features(storyline, playability, etc.). One of the POOR examples is the "Doom" movie, they turned a nice game story into a SELL-OUT...seriously WTF IS A DISEASE THAT TURNS YOU INTO A IMP...its supposed to be about hell for everyone's sake...

    Best Wishes
    Arktoxus

  • jakeboudville

    Posted Aug 30, 2006 8:56 pm PT

    kinda interesting...

  • warsabi

    Posted Jul 29, 2006 5:02 am PT

    as long as they don't do to it what other trilogies do...end it in the lamest way... i want more moving (emotionally) story!!!... the story is what makes it playable

  • Tinkertown

    Posted Jul 24, 2006 7:12 am PT

    Max Payne are an awesome set of games and i look forward to the third one and if they do decide to make a movie of them then i would like to see how tha turns out... by the way Vin Disel is not black... he plays riddick in the Chronicles of Riddick and Pitch Black... he also plays the babysitter in the Pacifier and what not!

  • walk2destiny

    Posted Jul 8, 2006 9:23 am PT

    Wow i likethat game so much

  • waqqas_1988

    Posted Jul 3, 2006 1:37 pm PT

    max payne 3 will be wowowow

  • _Danne91

    Posted Jun 17, 2006 12:19 pm PT

    yeah Max Payne are the best games

  • Shargon

    Posted Jun 10, 2006 4:52 pm PT

    I say this they can F**K it up total or they can make a new cult film
    hitman is comming as movie and vin disel is black so that movie is screwd

  • HeyBEP

    Posted Jun 9, 2006 1:27 am PT

    the movie?????
    omg!!!!!! it would be the best action movie!!!!! i know it would have the best special effects!!!!

  • 23242526

    Posted Jun 2, 2006 2:35 am PT

    vre god

  • lalakool_16

    Posted May 24, 2006 8:54 am PT

    HA.

    I love that series, i'm saying Bruce Willis !

  • Tyler_is_kool

    Posted Mar 29, 2006 7:57 pm PT

    wow that would be a cool movie.
    Maxpayne was the first game i owned

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