Avary dishes on Wolfenstein film

  • By TomM_GScom, GameSpot
  • Posted Sep 11, 2007 5:09 pm PT

It's difficult to conceive how id Software's seminal shoot-first, count-the-dead-later franchises could be bungled as summer-blockbuster action flicks. That is, until the Andrzej Bartkowiak-directed Doom tanked critically and commercially in 2005. However, with the revelation early last month that...

It's difficult to conceive how id Software's seminal shoot-first, count-the-dead-later franchises could be bungled as summer-blockbuster action flicks. That is, until the Andrzej Bartkowiak-directed Doom tanked critically and commercially in 2005. However, with the revelation early last month that Roger Avary (Pulp Fiction, Silent Hill) would be at the helm of the Return to Castle Wolfenstein movie, many had cause for hope that the latest game-to-film translation wouldn't be a disaster.

In a recent interview with Ain't It Cool News, Avary gave the first details on his upcoming "guys on a mission" WWII action film. Acknowledging the complaint many gamers have concerning the treatment of their beloved game franchises, Avary noted that while the movie will still be about "blowing s*** up, storming bunkers, busting dams, derailing trains, and killing Nazis," it won't strictly adhere to the game's plot.

"Whenever someone whines to me about breaking canon...I remind them that the original book, video game, or poem will ALWAYS exist in its original form for their enjoyment, but that a movie has special needs and compromises that occur due to a variety of real-world constrictions," said Avary. He went on to emphasize that it is more important to be true to the spirit of the character and franchise than it is to adhere to the game's plot.

While light on the specifics, Avary said that he would be blending Wolfenstein's signature larger-than-life style with "a certain quotient of reality." The movie would heavily incorporate the titular chateau during WWII in Europe, though action would also take place in surrounding locations. As for casting, Avary is interested in known European actors for more prominent roles like Dr. Otto Giftmacher and Hilda von Bulow. For the lead role of B.J. Blazkowicz, Avary somewhat cryptically stated, "All one needs to do is look at the box art on the Return to Castle Wolfenstein game and you can see who I see in my mind for the role."

Avary hopes to begin filming Return to Castle Wolfenstein next spring, barring any interference from a looming film-industry strike. It is unclear if the Wolfenstein film's release will be coordinated with that of Raven Software's new Wolfenstein game for the Xbox 360 and PC.

55 Comments

  • perish1

    Posted Sep 6, 2009 3:07 pm PT

    Ron Livingston from Band of Brothers would be a great choice.

  • Neo_Gamer81

    Posted Sep 13, 2007 9:27 am PT

    I have hope but we won't know how good or bad the film will be until the first trailer comes out.

  • sieg6529

    Posted Sep 13, 2007 8:50 am PT

    Hopefully they will look at what has made past WWII movies good and not make it too campy.

  • wars45

    Posted Sep 13, 2007 6:45 am PT

    WELL THIS COULD BE A GOOD MOIVE LETS HOPE SO

  • Blazzen23

    Posted Sep 12, 2007 11:46 pm PT

    first name to pop in my head after seeing the cover was Vin diesel....it just sticks out

  • Dolacide

    Posted Sep 12, 2007 3:33 pm PT

    Silent Hill was good, so I'll wait to see on this one.

  • tuxthepenguin

    Posted Sep 12, 2007 3:32 pm PT

    I kinda think Blaskowitz looks like Bruce Willis in the RTCW box art. He could be a pretty good choice, considering he does have experience in the action genre and is rough enough to pull of the role. But for the love of god, do not get Vin Diesel or the movie will be doomed from the beginning, considering he only made one good movie (Boiler Room).

  • ghsacidman

    Posted Sep 12, 2007 1:13 pm PT

    Here's the thing... SINCE WHEN IS WOLFENSTIEN ABOUT BLOWING **** UP? Wolfenstein needs to have serious tie ins to the game or it's going to suck. Old game plots weren't that good in most cases, so it used to be exceptable that the only similarity between the game and movie was the main charector... or even generalizations. Now, games have better plots then movies! It's time that director's start taking game plots seriously. There is alot of potential out there. I have alot of hope for the WoW movie (probably mis-placed) and the Halo movie (which will probably never happen). Halo especially because Bungie would be involved... They are very strict about they're storyline. It will probably never happen... Oh well, HALO 3!!!

  • fastman309

    Posted Sep 12, 2007 12:16 pm PT

    as long as there are zombie nazi's i will be happy

  • Alphasnail7

    Posted Sep 12, 2007 11:53 am PT

    B.J. Blazkowicz = Adam Baldwin?
    (He played Jayne in Firefly and Animal Mother in Full Metal Jacket)

    http://imdb.com/name/nm0000284/

  • BurningWreck

    Posted Sep 12, 2007 10:46 am PT

    They're never going to get a big star like Tom Cruise or Bruce Willis for this. The guy on the cover must look like some young rising star to the director. It's gotta be someone in his 20's to work in this story.

    The last thing we need is some 40-year-old star pretending to be an elite WWII soldier.

    I know Tom Hanks did a great job in Saving Private Ryan, but he was really way too old to be storming the beach at Normandy. A guy like him with that much experience would never have been sent out there as cannon fodder.

    So who is young, buff and an action guy, and will still take on a role with Nazis and monsters?

  • nonfanboy

    Posted Sep 12, 2007 10:28 am PT

    I think Ben Affleck or Josh Harnett would be a good choice. Affleck was good in Pearl Harbor I think and Harnett in Black Hawk Down

  • theevilvillain

    Posted Sep 12, 2007 10:23 am PT

    Great another game to movie.This one will a sucha flop that I hope i never see it.

  • nobeaner

    Posted Sep 12, 2007 9:50 am PT

    Nazi's, zombies, Uber Soldiers, lopers and who could forget the elite guard?

  • wargraymon

    Posted Sep 12, 2007 8:49 am PT

    kidding, he makes good movies, but how can you streigh from killing nazi death machines and the undead?

  • wargraymon

    Posted Sep 12, 2007 8:45 am PT

    "Whenever someone whines to me about breaking canon...I remind them that the original book, video game, or poem will ALWAYS exist in its original form for their enjoyment, but that a movie has special needs and compromises that occur due to a variety of real-world constrictions,"

    yeah compromises like writing and directing talent

  • The_Weekend

    Posted Sep 12, 2007 7:41 am PT

    uh-oh, disaster looming in the air! Is this gonna be a miss like Doom too?

  • Devouring_One

    Posted Sep 12, 2007 6:53 am PT

    doesnt sound good since he made silent hill

  • Nawras

    Posted Sep 12, 2007 4:33 am PT

    He said something true, that the movie should contain the spirit of the game and not the plot. This is because games have the liberty to flesh out a plot whereas in a movie they are constrained by time.

  • Nawras

    Posted Sep 12, 2007 4:28 am PT

    He said something true, that the movie should contain the spirit of the game and not the plot. This is because games have the liberty to flesh out a plot whereas in a movie they are constrained by time.

  • mattcake

    Posted Sep 12, 2007 3:40 am PT

    Bah, game plots are nearly always linear and boring - to make a film about them is utterly pointless and just an excuse to cash in on a name they think people will recognise. All they do is ruin the good name of the game, please stop it.

    Wolfenstein plot is to kill nazis and blow stuff up? Wow, genius, why hasnt anyone thought of that before! If they wanna spend money, spend it on making a new RTCW game for us to play instead

  • MonkeysDad

    Posted Sep 12, 2007 3:10 am PT

    Yup, that's Jason Statham on the cover alright...

  • Rowedahelicon

    Posted Sep 12, 2007 2:56 am PT

    Avary proved himself for all time with Silent Hill. The only problem now is I don't see how he'll ever top it. It was his Magnum Opus. His and Christophe Gans' both.

  • Bleed-it-out

    Posted Sep 12, 2007 2:19 am PT

    I like a game i hope movie will be good

  • MetalZombieII

    Posted Sep 12, 2007 2:12 am PT

    The director is a good choice, as far as track record and all, but this movie will suck if he doesn't atleast keep the basics in tact. Such as Nazis, supernatural experimentation, monsterers and super soldiers. Please don't pull a Uwe Boll.

  • Dreski83

    Posted Sep 12, 2007 1:43 am PT

    just seen Shoot'em Up... a movie where there is a lot of crazy violence and no need for clarity. It was enjoyable no doubt, but I'm not sure if a movie like Wolf can compete

  • nappan

    Posted Sep 11, 2007 11:41 pm PT

    what the hell else is the thing going to be about... knitting? The moon landing? Also, Lamprey263 is DEAD RIGHT... what's the TOS deal, since obviously that level of obscurity is JUST "effing" fine.

  • 00ooPolarisoo00

    Posted Sep 11, 2007 10:54 pm PT

    vin ftw

  • nervxchemx

    Posted Sep 11, 2007 9:47 pm PT

    @MysticDynamite and Char1es
    Roger Avery didn't direct Pulp Fiction...and he didn't write it either; just helped out with the story. For some reason, I could see Hugh Jackman doing well in the role. If not him, how about Tom Cruise? Then they can take the usual creative liberties and turn it into Dianetics II: The Search for Xenu.

  • Yuck_Too

    Posted Sep 11, 2007 9:34 pm PT

    Forget the movie bring out another Wolf...and not that half finished ET junk. RtCW ruled.

  • MrArmageddon8

    Posted Sep 11, 2007 8:26 pm PT

    What ever happened to that new Wolfenstien game?

  • Pierce_Sparrow

    Posted Sep 11, 2007 7:45 pm PT

    Well, I'm not terribly fond of Avery as a writer. I like his stuff for Pulp Fiction and Rules of Attraction, but Silent Hill, albeit an enjoyable movie, wasn't terribly well written. Still, I can imagine this as a great summer action blockbuster. And no, adherring to the plot of the game would not be a good idea. Anyone not understanding what Avery is saying about adpatations should just be happy with the games. There has to be certain creative liberty when something is adapted as that not only provides fresh aspects to the film, but is necessary with boundaries and constraints. And if this was adapated, B.J. would sure spend a lot of time alone, something that rarely works successfully in a film.

    As for who the actor choice for the film would be, I'm thinking Bruce Willis, though he might be getting too old.

  • comthitnuong

    Posted Sep 11, 2007 7:19 pm PT

    The guy sounds like he can pull it off...but there is always doubt...

  • PacoL250

    Posted Sep 11, 2007 7:18 pm PT

    Well things have been sort of all over the place with the Wolfenstein franchise in terms of story. Compare Wolfenstein 3D from way back and then Return to Castle Wolfenstein, and you'll see the story discrepancies.

    So I guess as long as the general idea behind the movie is the same as the games, it may just work out. Complaints about adhering to story don't hold much water here because of how both series of games have different story lines (granted very many characters are the same).

  • ScaryClownMan

    Posted Sep 11, 2007 7:11 pm PT

    I see one of two people for the lead actor, Bruce Wilis, or Jason Stathom...

  • DatGMan

    Posted Sep 11, 2007 7:09 pm PT

    Look at the box... Tom Hanks maybe? I mean he did Band of Brothers. That's all I can think of.

  • laughlyn12

    Posted Sep 11, 2007 7:09 pm PT

    COMING SOON: Return to Castle Wolfenstein
    Starring: Vin Diesel?

  • MROmeo10

    Posted Sep 11, 2007 7:07 pm PT

    This might be cool... still waiting for some news on the new Wolfenstein game!

  • Pete5506

    Posted Sep 11, 2007 6:45 pm PT

    cool

  • Char1es

    Posted Sep 11, 2007 6:37 pm PT

    btw avary wrote pulp fiction, didnt direct it

  • Char1es

    Posted Sep 11, 2007 6:36 pm PT

    mystic - Director of pulp fiction, lol, get a clue!

  • RaiKageRyu

    Posted Sep 11, 2007 6:35 pm PT

    Ah too bad

  • studnothin

    Posted Sep 11, 2007 6:24 pm PT

    uhh, didn't tarantino direct pulp fiction?

  • Wolfie600

    Posted Sep 11, 2007 6:19 pm PT

    Hell sing soldier how can u critize the halo movie if its not out yet... and besides this guy was involved in Pulpfiction so yea may turn out rpetty well

  • DirtyRotten

    Posted Sep 11, 2007 6:04 pm PT

    Yeah..I'm sure this will be stellar.

  • dn3datomiced

    Posted Sep 11, 2007 5:53 pm PT

    Boy, did he just lose my interest there. He's basically resigned this movie to the boorish mediocrity of Resident Evil, BloodRayne, House of the Dead, etc.

    When you deviate from the plot, it makes the adaptation nearly pointless. See the aforementioned titles for proof.

    What he doesn't understand is that gamers want to see these plots that arise fully-fleshed out. Games like the original Resident Evil try very hard to be like a movie, and they're just begging for a movie companion to do the plot justice. Zombie guru George Romero was poised to write the script for Resident Evil, and it was wonderfully faithful to the game. Instead, they threw it out for some half-assed 'adaptation' directed by Paul 'What Story?' Anderson, which amounted to almost nothing relating to the series.

    C'mon, directors, stop pulling this crap.

  • pkroberts

    Posted Sep 11, 2007 5:49 pm PT

    Put a couple pounds on Jason Statham and he looks like the character on the box art to me.

  • lamprey263

    Posted Sep 11, 2007 5:46 pm PT

    @Battlehead90 - I hope you're not implying Vin Diesel... wait, that actually might work

  • ElectrolightSH posted Sep 11, 2007 5:44 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    ElectrolightSH

    Posted Sep 11, 2007 5:44 pm PT (hide)

    Silent Hill sucked ass and I hope that Roger Avary dies a horrible painful death.

  • MysticDynamite

    Posted Sep 11, 2007 5:44 pm PT

    Being that it's coming from the director of Pulp Fiction, I think this movie has a chance of turning out well.

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