28 Days Later shunned by gamemakers

Film-to-game adaptation of zombie flick was offered but had no reasonable takers, says movie's producer.

At the Develop conference going down in Brighton, England, DNA Films producer Andrew MacDonald told an audience that he shopped around the idea of making a game based on 28 Days Later, one of his studios' films, reports gamesindustry.biz. Filled with ultraquick zombies, gritty action, and a relatively realistic sci-fi premise, one would think the film, directed by Danny Boyle (Trainspotting, Shallow Grave), would make good source material for an interactive game--however, game publishers didn't. Indie houses did take interest, but required DNA to foot the bill for development--something the studio could not afford to do. Bungie's Marty O'Donnell, who happened to be in the audience, mentioned that it was the film's script, written by Alex Garland (The Beach), that led the studio to offer $1 million for Garland to pen the Halo movie.

94 Comments

  • blasterchief

    Posted Jan 15, 2009 6:16 am PT

    Hmm... it would actually be a cool idea... give the player 28 days to survive in the game, like an RPG.

  • kaztiyo

    Posted Sep 17, 2008 3:51 pm PT

    I am very disappointed, 28 days later would've been the best zombie game ever... even better than resident evil

  • eminem_trick_01

    Posted Jul 14, 2008 4:27 am PT

    28 days later would be a great game if it see the light, it would be much like Dead Rising (Xbox 360).

    P.S : Rexavian, you made a great point there.

  • sexual_monk69

    Posted Nov 2, 2007 9:53 am PT

    Thank you matthew, is there no company that will take it on and do it good? itslike the one game that will make absolutley every film/game addict happy and orgasm with joy and they wont touch it!

  • mattbelshaw

    Posted Oct 29, 2007 1:55 pm PT

    monk.. you and me are on the same page here mate.

  • sexual_monk69

    Posted Oct 28, 2007 3:45 pm PT

    I reckon if it was made into an rpf or general shooter it wud be gud, like u can turn houses into ur safehouse n **** but u gotta ind things to secure it with, like find wood n bring it bak, n u need to be thinkin like the door wont lock on its own other wise they get in wen u least expect it. I think it mite even have mmorpg potential, like imagine 2 teams infected and human, tho tht mite b **** coz u wudnt ave any power abilities. hmmm... wot if an rpg, third person, survival-horror-action-shooter, two 'campaigns' for the survival, human where u survive as long as u can n try get sumwhere or summat and a military one where u gotta go find survivors, obviously military wud b better equipped. I think tho if game developers got hold of this, they wud be diks n add like 'super rage' where thers like sum fat ass mega one, i rekon it shud b all the human, scary ass, breathing heavy, this cud happen horror **** yeah, i was thikin as i typed so send me a message if u agree lol

  • tsarfaruk3

    Posted Aug 17, 2007 1:00 pm PT

    also, this is the first zombie horror wer the zombies are kick-ass fast! not lumbering moaning wtf-ers

  • Eggie37

    Posted Aug 16, 2007 1:01 am PT

    ok... think of it this way. the entire of britain as a map and you can either hide yourself away, try and fint survivours or go to an army base for help. a lil like deadrising except the zombies are way more powerful an u r actually scared to go up against them... like a bigdaddy in bioshock... cept theres tons of them.

  • Rexavian

    Posted Aug 11, 2007 7:42 am PT

    As Neohunter said: It'd be a really great survival game. F.ex. U start off as a regular guy ( or woman), you are taking a walk and then all of a sudden a guy is running around and hitting people and biting them. U see a Bat on the ground, pick it up and have to hit the guy. But then all the other people come at you too! Then u have to run. After that u must find shelter and then try to find survivors and weapons. Then u have to survive for 14 weeks. I think that's when they died in 28 Weeks Later. They died of starvation after 14 weeks, then in 14 weeks more (2, the virus breaks out again. But only 14 weeks in the game. That'd rock!!!!

  • Rexavian

    Posted Aug 11, 2007 7:30 am PT

    28 Days Later would be a GREAT game! There aren't zombies in the movie, but we like to think that way because zombies rock! And because they try to kill the ones that aren't infected. And the "zombies" in this movie are infected with a rage virus. They don't try to eat normal people, but they get really mad and try to kill them. And people get infected by a bite or by getting infected blood in them, through the mouth, eye or maybe a wound. With one exception in 28 Weeks Later (28 Days Later 2). In that movie, a guy kisses a woman that was immune to the infection, but still had the virus in her.

  • VincentV21

    Posted Jul 14, 2006 12:18 pm PT

    With such a great movie like 28 Days you could really make a game that "thinks" out of the box here. Too bad, but there is always another day for this game, possibly.

  • FinalMinuet

    Posted Jul 14, 2006 11:32 am PT

    Movie, Comic, and Video Game conversions happen when wealthy big-shots want to screw Americans out of even more money. Super Mario Bros., Street Fighter, Doom, and Halo are all great examples of Video Game to Movie conversions that have failed, or in the case of Halo, will fail, miserably. Given those circumstances, why do people think that Movie to Video Game conversions will work any better?

    Just because a few people think it'd be cool to have a movie converted to a video game doesn't mean that it would be a good idea. The money that gets wasted on the cheap-ass discount bin games could be better spent making quality, original games.

    Besides, it's too late after the fact to make the game. If the game is released around the same time as the movie, it can piggy-back on the advertising of the movie, or even advertise both at the same time and save money in advertising costs. There's no way they can push the game enough to make a dent in the market after this long.

    Long story short, those are some damn smart publishers. We need more people like them.

  • Angurvadal_88

    Posted Jul 14, 2006 11:25 am PT

    Ninja, stfu, you don't have a clue what you are talking about. Look at the reviews of 28 Days Later on the web and you will see how much of a fool you are making out of yourself. I don't mind you not liking 28DL, but stop saying 'STOP DEFENDING THIS FILM!' You say it's crap, fine, but where are your reasons, it's no good just saying 'It wasn't scary.' I thought it was a fantastic film. I even prefer it to Dawn of the Dead. It's just tense, thrilling and scary nearly all the way through. Lot's of nice ideas are thrown in too. For example, the 'zombies' ( or infected humans... whatever you want to call them) are attracted and very sensitive to light. They run like super humans (this creates a tense feeling), unlike other zombies where they just roam around like retards. This just makes me laugh tbh.
    Do any of you remember that part where the main character (I've forgot his name) shelters for the night in his parent's house (dead parents) with his other fellow survivors? He goes downstairs and sparks a lighter to watch some old home movie. By this time, i knew what was going to happen and was sh***ing myself, screaming at the TV, 'GODDAMNIT TURN OFF THE LIGHT!!!' The camera suddenly switches to outside the kitchen, then immediately begins sprinting towards the illuminated glass. The use of 'motion blur' and the heavy sound of breathing really makes your hair stand on end.
    Anyways, I think this zombie film concerntrates on suspense, andrenaline, scares and intrigue - You want to know what happens to the survivors. Do they die? If they escape, where do they go? Etc etc. Gore isn't really a main factor in this film I don't think (although, don't get me wrong, theres still parts of gore). Making this film into a game would be brilliant. However, they need to select the important elements in this film which made it so good, and import and highlight them in the game. This would make me happy.

  • ricsuave

    Posted Jul 14, 2006 11:23 am PT

    The guy that said there were only 2 good film adaptations in video games forgot about GoldenEye. Really, how does "the Lion King" rate remembering and GoldenEye doesn't?

  • ultrazone

    Posted Jul 14, 2006 11:20 am PT

    I'm sorry, but after watching 28 Days Later...I think it has potential as a game. Now it wouldn't follow the movies plotline, but the premise of the film could make for a good shooter...but oh well.

  • trolley98

    Posted Jul 14, 2006 11:17 am PT

    I thought 28 days later was ok, but not good enough to be a game

    second, im going to get dead rising cuz that looks like a combination of zombie games as previous posts have declared

  • cycoivan

    Posted Jul 14, 2006 11:11 am PT

    First off, a zombie is only as good as your definition. In the literal sense it means "a reanimated corpse", however in the figurative sense it means "an apathetic person". Using the second meaning, the infected in 28 days later are zombies in the figurative sense. The main point is WHO CARES!!!??? Call them whatever you want, but don't crap on others for calling the things what they want to.

    Secondly, 28 days later would not be a good game. There is an alright story, but the enemies would only be the ragers (my word for the supposed "zombies") and the soldiers. Not much variety and it would get boring quick. Not to mention if you get taken down by the ragers, you are one of them in 10 seconds. There's no second chances or anything. At least in Resident Evil (despite it's cheesiness) enemies gradually get stronger due to the fact that the T and G viruses, and Las Plagas mutate. That is why Resident Evil is the king of zombie games.

    Thirdly, it sounds like Dead Rising is "the" game that emulates practically every other zombie movie out there especially "Dawn of the Dead." So why make another game similiar in scope.

    The game publishers did a good thing by not making a good movie into a bad game.

  • abxy

    Posted Jul 14, 2006 10:22 am PT

    Jeez people, I get so fed up with this sort of geeky "I have to be correct to the 'nth' technical degree" internet ego that a lot of people on this comment thread seem to posess. It's a zombie film people...it's a zombie film.

    Despite not being zombies in the traditional sense, it's still a zombie film. Just as the villagers in RE4 aren't zombies in the traditional sense but can still be referred to as zombies. It's an evolution or different take all together on the predictable zombie genre film/story/game that we've come to expect. The term zombie is no longer bound specifially to traditional definition; the movements, thought process, and behaviors make it enough to refer to them as zombies.

    Furthermore, the 28 Days Later website has a film critic's quote right on the splash page stating: "Danny Boyle reinvents zombie horror and it's scary as hell."

    Now I do have the film on dvd, just because I personally thing it's a great peice of work. But on the commentary track Boyle refers to them as zombies several times throughout.

    So please, put aside your "I must prove i'm right about some insignificant detail because i'm an avid film watcher and gamer" pride and welcome in common sense; it's a freakin' modern zombie film that explores things from a "what if" perspective.

  • alcarazo9

    Posted Jul 14, 2006 10:13 am PT

    cool more zombie games

  • ghsacidman

    Posted Jul 14, 2006 9:35 am PT

    It would be a great game. MAKE IT!!!!

  • ruttness

    Posted Jul 14, 2006 9:30 am PT

    turnips! crap loot!

  • Hellisunreal

    Posted Jul 14, 2006 9:22 am PT

    It would havre been an excellent game, if made properly that is

  • Ninja_Kinshu

    Posted Jul 14, 2006 9:04 am PT

    To everyone who try and defend 28 Days Later - stop. Just stop. The movie was crap, garbage, not scary, not funny in funny spots, not good in general. It WAS a zombie movie, but it was a BAD zombie movie. Why would they say it re-invented the zombie genre on the theater poster? Why would it say it was "a terrific zombie movie" by people who don't know anything about zombies?

    STOP DEFENDING THE MOVIE, IT WAS BAD.

  • sieg6529

    Posted Jul 14, 2006 8:35 am PT

    28DL could make a good game, but it would be weird to kill infected human beings as opposed to undead zombies.

  • brad_d

    Posted Jul 14, 2006 8:30 am PT

    28 Days Later sucked anyway

  • jaredgood1

    Posted Jul 14, 2006 7:28 am PT

    Good. 28 Days Later (despite the lack of Sandra Bullock), was a fine film and doesn't need to be sullied by a crappy game adaptation. You look at film to game adaptations and there are only two good adaptations: the Lion King on SNES and Spider-Man (1&2). Seriously, those are the only good ones. Everything else has been serviceable, derivative crap.

    The game industry is already falling into the Hollywood mentality of "adaptation, sequel, remake are the only sure money makers as they have a built-in audience", so let's just try for some original ideas for a change, shall we?

  • g_rant09

    Posted Jul 14, 2006 7:20 am PT

    28 days later was (and still is) a great movie, and from what I've read from a summery of the halo script it's turning out to be great as well.
    MC's first line is 10 pages into the script and is "What are my orders?" Now that is great script writing.

  • tatu2004

    Posted Jul 14, 2006 7:18 am PT

    oh yeah there's rumour's about a 28 Days Later 2 so i guess they might make that in to a game check ign.com for that news......

  • jonesy545

    Posted Jul 14, 2006 6:53 am PT

    IMO 1 of the best movies of the past 10 years, no they werent Zombies, Zombies are the undead and eat flesh, these were very much alive just infected with a virus who dont so much as eat each other they just beat u to death or spew on ya lol, classic, as noticed by how they starve to death, what zombies ever done that.
    Oh and this was WAY better than DotD remake, which i loved aswell, i also read somewhere that George A Romero himself loved this movie.
    Man i love movies like this, we need a new horror movie thats like this.

  • Sandman100

    Posted Jul 14, 2006 6:34 am PT

    We don't need anymore zombies games. The movie was ok but they shouldn't make a game based on it. Hopefully Alex Garland script for the Halo movie is good.

  • mansellj

    Posted Jul 14, 2006 6:30 am PT

    I always thought that would be a great adaption! What the hell Hollywood?

  • Emrtr4

    Posted Jul 14, 2006 6:23 am PT

    28 days later was a bad movie, its metaphors and attempted analogies of life were dumb...

    The action and horor sucked, by ALL WAYS,

    acting, directing, special effects, and through its comments on western consumerism Dawn of the Dead (remake) was FAR better.

  • paradyme777

    Posted Jul 14, 2006 6:07 am PT

    Yea, maybe we will see running zombies in Resident Evil 5

  • rezapoc

    Posted Jul 14, 2006 6:05 am PT

    Very good film, but a spin off taylor made for games would have been better bet for an adaptation of it as everyone who would be interested in the game will have seen the film already.
    The London setting for the first half of the movie would be perfect for horriffic gaming pleasure and would have rivalled resi, but the lack of different enemies in the film would make it hard for game makers to put any variety in.
    they'd have to use different infected animals such as the chimps at the beggining of the film.

  • BlackdogGT

    Posted Jul 14, 2006 5:15 am PT

    Damn good movie. It was the next step in the evolution of the genre Romero created. It was a good concept and appropriately excecuted. Danny Boyle is one of my favorites, the guy is just so well rounded. I'm happy as hell it wasn't converted to a video game. There are so many original concepts (Resident Evil, of course..) that are MADE for gaming. Another garbage movie conversion wouldn't have done the film justice.

  • HuxleyHobbes

    Posted Jul 14, 2006 5:14 am PT

    Doesn't bother me much that this isn't happening, because of two words: Dead Rising.

    (Oh, and 28 Days Later was a pretty great movie, whether you get into the semantics of them being zombies or not. Besides, the real point was about the soldiers.)

  • diablobasher

    Posted Jul 14, 2006 5:13 am PT

    @: ju07MrColor

    Im glad you understood it ^_^

    @: DR_Taffin

    Despite the first thing you said being "Its not like i didnt get it" the restof your comment proved you really didnt understand it at all.

    Diablo

  • Jshaw71

    Posted Jul 14, 2006 3:43 am PT

    seems like an ok game idea, weither it was intended to be a zombie movie or not it was accepted as one, that's how i see this whole argument, it was kinda too bad that the game was killed, or never thought about, could've been cool to go around england killing crazy humans with uber gore effects

  • pspmad1

    Posted Jul 14, 2006 3:42 am PT

    game to movie is ok but movie to game no go

  • Toribor

    Posted Jul 14, 2006 3:28 am PT

    Do we really need more movie/game travesties? Spare me please.

  • Neoyamaneko

    Posted Jul 14, 2006 2:59 am PT

    They weren't zombies.....what a crock.

  • TVR_Fan

    Posted Jul 14, 2006 2:34 am PT

    28 Days Later game, could be one of the best movies to be put into a game. 28 Days later however was a classic in my mind.

  • dr_taffin

    Posted Jul 14, 2006 1:57 am PT

    28 Days Later was dumb. It's not like I "didn't get it" because I'm some dumb, boorish American (Shaun of the Dead is one of my all-time favorite movies), I just thought it wasn't scary or thrilling. It had some good ideas and the sadistic military guys living in their own little mansion was interesting, but it didn't stick with me or even involve me at the time the way great zombie movies do. I'm personally offended when I see it listen among the greats of the genre. Even though it came afterwards, the Dawn of the Dead remake did a much better job with "fast zombies." It's important to remember that they aren't even zombies in 28 Days Later. It was a good try, but I gave away my DVD after buying and watching it once.

    I wish Dead Rising would come out on PC so someone could make a Shaun of the Dead mod for it. I doubt there'd ever be an official game using the engine (too small a license), but maybe, just maybe, we'll get a downloadable Shaun skin and cricket bat on the Marketplace. Rip the soundtrack to your 360 and you've got my dream game.

  • ju07MrColor

    Posted Jul 14, 2006 1:09 am PT

    At diablobasher
    This American, thought the movie was pretty good and my understanding of it, is top-notch.

    Now, out my way, so I can drown in my precious beer and watch football. (sarcasm)

    Off topic.

    I like the chimp scene, It reminded me of the Hot Zone (book).

  • kazuya_m

    Posted Jul 14, 2006 12:44 am PT

    that movie isn't really a horror movie... it rather critizises the human social behavior... ehm... OK... we are all zombies to a certain point of few...

    but anyway, that one was one hell of a great movie... the game will su**, especially if it's gonna be a action game!!!

    some kind of survival simulation would be better... trying to find food, find other survivors (or were they really invested?!)explore the towns etc.

  • godhandiscen

    Posted Jul 14, 2006 12:26 am PT

    Way better than any american horror movie. However no game could capture the message of humans being punished for their hateful acts. Only that movie can.

  • diablobasher

    Posted Jul 14, 2006 12:21 am PT

    28 Days Later is a fantastic movie, you Americans just wouldnt understand it.

    Oh and get this into your heads will you? It's NOT a zombie movie.

    But i agree, it wouldnt work too well as a game, especially made by some idiots who still think its a zombie film.

    Diablo

  • Taalon

    Posted Jul 13, 2006 11:45 pm PT

    Hahaha, some people still think they were zombies. Did they ever watch the first half hour!?

  • m0thr4

    Posted Jul 13, 2006 11:20 pm PT

    Okay, in 28 Days Later they're not actually zombies, because they're not actually dead. But only a real pedant would tell you it's not a zombie movie just because of that one technicality. And it's a crap zombie movie at that... the ending is particcularly abrupt; almost as if they ccouldn't figure out how to wrap it all up.

  • OfficialBed

    Posted Jul 13, 2006 11:10 pm PT

    i cant see 28 days later as a game at all......excuse me while i go throw up in my mouth

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