Splinter Cell movie not to be game remake?

With its morally ambiguous, prison-set story, the forthcoming Splinter Cell: Double Agent looks to be a major departure from the series' traditional plots. However, many expected the forthcoming Splinter Cell movie to stick close to the Tom Clancy-inspired narratives of the games, which pit super-commando Sam Fisher against a host of international terrorists.

However, reports surfaced today that the big-screen adaptation of Splinter Cell may stray even further from its game roots. Speaking to the fan site The Fairer Sects, Raymond Benson, the author of the two Splinter Cell novels, said that the Splinter Cell screenplay "is totally original and not based on any existing game or my books."

Benson, who penned Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell (2004) and Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Operation Barracuda (2005) under the nom de plume David Michaels, also said he was not involved with the production of the film. According to a Variety report from last August, its script is being rewritten by Daniel Pyne (The Manchurian Candidate). Peter Berg (The Rundown) was attached to direct, but dropped out last summer. No actor has been cast in the role of Fisher, who is voiced in the game by veteran character actor Michael Ironside (Starship Troopers).

Splinter Cell is currently in preproduction at DreamWorks SKG, which was recently purchased by Paramount. Ironically, Paramount sold the rights to Splinter Cell to DreamWorks last year.