Now that Nintendo has released a press release, it's official. The movie should come out on March 33 for the full effect.
HYPNOTIC SECURES EXCLUSIVE FEATURE FILM AND TELEVISION RIGHTS FOR NINTENDO GAME ETERNAL DARKNESS: SANITY'S REQUIEM
Companies Collaborate to Take Popular Brand to Television and Film
LOS ANGELES – (June 27, 2003) - Nintendo of America Inc. and Hypnotic, a New York and Los Angeles-based branded entertainment company, will collaborate to bring Nintendo's popular "Eternal DarknessTM: Sanity's Requiem" video game title to new heights through the development of motion picture and television projects. Hypnotic will spearhead all TV and film development, financing, production and distribution rights for the property, from hiring the writers to brokering studio commitments and distribution deals.
Hypnotic understands the power of the Eternal Darkness brand as it produced the successful Eternal Darkness Filmmaking Competition, in 2001 and 2002, to promote the release of the game. Hypnotic chairman, Liz Hamburg, has worked with Nintendo throughout her career and brings her deep understanding of the entertainment and gaming industries to the table to help propel the brand into the filmed entertainment space.
Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem, gaming's first true psychological thriller, received the 'Outstanding Achievement in Character or Story' award at the 2003 Interactive Achievement Awards, the Oscars® of the video-game community. "The characters in this game are extremely complex and story is truly dynamic," says Gail Tilden, vice president, Brand Management, Nintendo of America, Inc. "We're looking forward to working hand-in-hand with Hypnotic to bring this exciting and innovative entertainment property to an even broader audience."
"We are thrilled to once again work with Nintendo to extend this brand and its powerful story to the masses," says David Bartis, CEO, Hypnotic. "We are eager to get the project started and to leverage our relationships in both the entertainment and marketing worlds to propel Eternal Darkness onto yet another entertainment platform."
Hypnotic's current projects include the development of their latest television series, "The O.C." to air on FOX, the Terry Tate, Office Linebacker original film series and commercials for Reebok, The Chrysler Million Dollar Film Festival, Toyota's Scion Screening Series, and numerous development deals leveraging its talent pool and immense short film library.
Chairman Liz Hamburg and in-house producer Steven Hein spearheaded the deal. Gail Tilden helmed the negotiation for Nintendo.
