It’s an old sea serpent resurfacing today! In the boxes for years, a film adaptation of the Duke Nukem video game should finally see the light of day soon!
A legendary video game saga, Duke Nukem delighted fans of FPS (first person shooter) on consoles during the 1990s!
For more than 20 years, the license has been trying to make its way to dark rooms. The Rock had been tipped to embody the colossus in the early 2000s, but the project ended up in the bottom of a drawer. As for video games, the vigilante offered himself a final lap in 2011 with Duke Nukem Forever.
In 2018, Paramount revived the idea of an adaptation with John Cena in the title role. A sort of caricature of action movie characters, Duke Nukem is a clever mix between Stallone, Schwarzy, John Wayne, Charles Bronson and Bruce Willis.
Created by 3D Realms, the character came under the fold of Gearbox Software in 2009. This gun-savvy, punchline champion ice cabinet is instantly recognizable with his brush cut, dark glasses, huge guns and his red tank top.
After long years of procrastination, it seems that the project is finally back on track! According The Hollywood ReporterLegendary Entertainment has recovered the rights to the character in order to start the adaptation.
The Duke Nukem Forever Trailer
To produce it, the studio called upon Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg. The three men are notably known for having created the series Cobra-Kaiwhich has been a hit on Netflix for 4 seasons.
After having revived the Karate Kid franchise for the small screen, the trio intends to dust off the Duke Nukem myth for dark rooms! Irreverent, violent and politically incorrect, this bodybuilder hero risks destroying everything in his path if he is not watered down.
The three artists will be supported in this heavy undertaking by the French producer Jean-Julien Baronnet, specializing in video game adaptations. A priori, Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg should collaborate on the screenplay. The studio is now looking for a director.
After the aborted projects with The Rock and John Cena, who would you see in the muscular anti-hero’s red tank top? We’ll let you debate that.
In the meantime, Cobra Kai season 5 arrives September 5 on Netflix.