Universal to adapt 10 iconic Atari games for the big screen

Deadline reports that Atari and Universal Pictures have struck a film deal covering ten of the most recognisable names in early video gaming. The list includes Asteroids, Pong, Centipede, Missile Command and Yars’ Revenge, along with Adventure, Berzerk, Breakout, Crystal Castles and Millipede. That’s a serious package of gaming history. It’s also a strange one. Most of these games don’t have detailed characters, long scripts or complicated fictional worlds. They were built around simple ideas that players understood in seconds. Shoot the rocks. Break the blocks. Stop the missiles. Keep the ball moving. Turning those ideas into feature films won’t be easy, but that’s exactly what makes the deal interesting.

Universal has plenty of freedom

Entertainment 360 will produce the projects, while writers Matt Reilly and Carl Hampe are working on the first film. They’ll also produce alongside Guymon Casady. The companies haven’t revealed which game will reach cinemas first. There’s no director, cast or release date yet either, so the project remains at an early stage.

Still, the choice of properties tells us plenty about the approach. Universal isn’t buying one ready-made story. It’s buying ten flexible concepts and a collection of names that people already know. That gives the studio room to experiment.

A modern adaptation of Asteroids doesn’t need to copy the arcade screen. It could become a large-scale space survival film, a military science-fiction thriller or something smaller and more character-driven. The game supplies the basic threat. The filmmakers have to build everything else.

Some games already look like films

Several titles come with obvious cinematic potential. Missile Command could work as a tense defence thriller. A city faces wave after wave of incoming attacks, while the people responsible for stopping them struggle with limited time and resources. The original game had no real story, but its central idea still feels immediate.

Berzerk may be even easier to adapt. It already has deadly robots, enclosed corridors and a constant sense of pursuit. Add a strong lead character and a clear reason for entering the maze, and the film almost starts writing itself.

Yars’ Revenge also offers plenty to work with. It has alien conflict, defensive barriers and a distinctive visual identity. Universal could turn it into a colourful space adventure without stretching the original idea too far.

Adventure brings fantasy into the mix. Castles, dragons, hidden paths and a stolen object give the studio a familiar structure. It could become a family adventure, a darker fantasy or a fast-moving quest film.

Pong may be the hardest sell

Then there’s Pong. Everyone knows the name, but the game barely has a premise. Two paddles hit a ball back and forth. That’s it.

A direct adaptation clearly wouldn’t work, so the writers will need to think sideways. Pong could become a futuristic sports film, a story about competitive technology or even a thriller built around a high-stakes tournament. Breakout presents the same kind of problem. The title sounds dramatic, but the original game offers little more than a paddle, a ball and a wall of blocks.

That doesn’t make it useless. In fact, the name gives Universal several possible directions. The film could become a prison escape story, a contained technology thriller or a science-fiction drama about breaking through a controlled system. The connection to the game may end up feeling loose. That’s fine, as long as the film works.

Atari wants more from its catalogue

The agreement fits Atari’s wider business strategy. The company has spent years bringing older games back through remasters, reissues, new hardware projects and studio acquisitions. Film gives Atari another way to use its catalogue.

That doesn’t mean every project will get made. Hollywood regularly announces large packages that shrink over time, especially when the first release fails to connect with audiences. The opening film will carry a lot of pressure because it’ll show whether these brands can support more than recognition and marketing.

If it succeeds, Universal could have a varied slate on its hands. Asteroids might become space action. Missile Command could lean into disaster cinema. Adventure could target fantasy fans, while Centipede and Millipede could work as creature features. The films don’t need to share characters or exist in one connected universe. They’ll probably work better if each title gets its own tone.

The first film will decide everything

The big question isn’t whether people remember these games. Many do. The real question is whether Universal can turn a familiar title into a convincing story. Recognition may help sell the trailer, but it won’t carry a two-hour film. That job belongs to the writers, directors and actors.

Atari’s games offer clean, memorable ideas. They’re simple by design, which gives filmmakers room to create something new without arguing over decades of complicated lore. That freedom could produce smart, unexpected films. It could also produce expensive projects with famous names and very little underneath. The first adaptation will tell us which direction this deal is heading.

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