Deus Ex: Human Revolution will have marked the return of the franchise on computers and consoles in 2011. An ambitious and successful title, developed by Eidos Montreal and edited by Square-Enixwhich was entitled to a sequel, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, and that’s all. The license is now set aside, but at the time, it fascinated everyone, even producers in Hollywood.
Because yes, a film adaptation of Deus Ex: Human Revolution was plannedwith Scott Derrickson directing, he who had already given birth to The Exorcism of Emily Rose and Hellraiser V: Inferno. But then, everything didn’t go as planned, the project dragged on, and Scott Derrickson left to direct Doctor Strangean excellent film by mcuwhich definitively stopped the production. The film adaptation of Deus Ex: Human Revolution is therefore ancient history, but she has been talking about her again in recent days with the publication of excerpts from the script by USA Today.
The film Deus Ex: Human Revolution was obviously largely based on the eponymous video game, with all the same a huge difference that would have made fans cringe. This script, from 2014, would have opened with a quote from Albert Einstein and first presented us with Adam Jensena charismatic and athletic 30-something living in a futuristic world cyberpunk, where cybernetic augmentations would have become increasingly popular. But Adam clinging to his body made of flesh and musclewould have rejected the offer of his employer Sarif Industries to give him raises for free. As in the game, he would have been in a relationship with the Dr. Megan Reed and would have witnessed an escalation of violence with attacks perpetrated by Absolute Purityanti-rise terrorists regularly attacking the facilities of Sarif Industries. We would have discovered several characters like David Sarifbut also Yelena Fedorova, Jaron Namir and Lawrence Barrettmercenaries of Absolute Purity attacking the premises ofAdamnot to seize the typhoona highly technological weapon designed by Sarifbut for Daedaluswithout the viewer knowing what it really is.
And this is where the players would have had cold sweats: Adam Jensen then wounded during the attack, would have learned that Megan Reed was killed during it, but the hero would have done quite well and would have himself asked to have cybernetic augmentations to avenge the death of his companion. Farewell to the famous line “I never asked for this”? Well no, because later in the movie, Adam would have faced Barrettgetting his ass kicked and getting up like a real hero while pronouncing this cult phrase, which would therefore have had no meaning here. But the fan service was obviously present. Another somewhat embarrassing element, the film should not be R-rated (forbidden to children under 14 unaccompanied by an adult in the United States), thus forcing the writers and the director to reduce the violence and the presence of blood on the screen. Scott Kinney, in charge of recruiting the screenwriters and who shared the script, indicates in passing that the casting was never really at the center of discussions during pre-production, but he would have seen Bradley Cooper in Adam Jensen and Stephen Lang (Don’t Breath) in Barrett.
The film Deus Ex: Human Revolution had potentialfollowing the main lines of video games, emphasizing the importance of certain roles such as that of Tong Si Hungboss of winter, but modifying certain cult elements of the plot. We will never have the opportunity to see the result on the screen anyway. If you’ve never played the game, Deus Ex: Human Revolution – Director’s Cut is at €9.99 at Gamesplanet.
| Clint008 Writer – Tester |
