SyFy making Red Faction movie, coproducing games

In February, publisher THQ and cable channel SyFy announced a deal that would see the latter develop a show based on the former's hit platformer de Blob. Today, Broadcasting & Cable reports that the science-fiction-focused network is now developing a telefilm based on another THQ property: Red Faction.

According to the trade, the two-hour Red Faction movie will be a potential pilot for a TV series based on the franchise, which was itself partially inspired by the film Total Recall. A similar arrangement saw a 2003 miniseries remake based on the 1970s show Battlestar Galactica turn into a full-fledged--and award-winning--series that ran from 2004 to 2009.

"It is the kind of content that fits our genre," senior VP of SyFy Ventures Alan Seiffert told B&C. "It is a great fit for a big SyFy Saturday movie, and if it really works, it is a great backdoor pilot."

The deal will cut both ways, with future Red Faction games being coproduced by the SyFy Games label. According to the latest THQ financial report, Red Faction 4 has been moved up to arrive during the publisher's current fiscal year, which ends on March 31, 2011. CEO Brian Farrell said the game's release had been advanced to capitalize on the popularity of the critically acclaimed Red Faction: Guerrilla and promised "robust online gameplay" and increased environmental destruction.

The network has also struck a deal with THQ to develop a DS, iPhone, and iPad game based on the upcoming reality show Ghost Hunters Academy. The show will be a spin-off of the current SyFy series Ghost Hunters, which follows two paranormal sleuths trying to capture evidence of supernatural activities.

"Both Ghost Hunters and Red Faction are great examples of how we are absolutely committed to [gaming], and it is going to be more than just taking the name; it is going to really be part of the overall experience," Seiffert said.