Video games are becoming a more and more popular source for movie ideas. While most of them have been popular games, the newest project is based on a game you have probably never heard of. The director of Hot Tub Time Machine is on board to write and direct a film based on Sega's Rent-A-Hero. While hardly the blockbuster title of other properties that have seen theatrical releases, the game certainly sets itself up to be an entertaining story, and one of the few comedies we've seen based on video games.
Rent-A-Hero was originally released in 1991 for the Sega Mega Drive, the Japanese console that was known as the Genesis in North America. The game focused on a character named Taro Yamada who accidently had a set of power armor delivered to his house, instead of the pizza he had ordered. In order to be able to keep the suit, he has to pay for it, which leads him to picking up odd jobs as a hero for hire in order to make money. According to The Hollywood Reporter, this premise is now being adapted into a screenplay, being written by Steve Pink and Jeff Morris. Pink is also attached to direct.
The screenplay will update things a bit, but in a way that makes perfect sense. In the film version, the as yet unnamed lead character will join an organization referred to as "Uber for heroes" in order to make some money. Of course, the organization will turn out to be up to no good, leading our "slacker genius" and his other rent-a-heroes to work together to stop them.
Stories International, the production side of Sega, is on board to produce the film. This is just one more of a collection of projects that Sega is trying to get turned into feature films. The game studio has been working on a long-gestating live-action/animated Sonic the Hedgehog movie. In addition, they recently announced plans to turn their ninja action title Shinobi into a film.
Rent-A-Hero was never released in the US, although there was a plan to do so for the original Xbox in 2003. Unfortunately, the game never made it to the public. Take a look at what we could have expected from the release.
The Rent-A-Hero concept sounds like a perfectly entertaining premise for a movie, regardless of whether or not it's based on a game. What other obscure game titles would make for great movies? Give us your suggestions in the comments.
