MUMBAI: Electronic Arts Inc. and Starz Media’s Film Roman has started production on an animated movie based on the immortal epic Dante’s Inferno. The feature-length project will expand on the story in EA’s new game coming out for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system and Playstation3 computer entertainment system in 2010.
Just as the poem and game take players on a stunning journey through the nine circles of Hell, the Dante’s Inferno animated feature will also follow Dante as he travels through limbo, lust, gluttony, greed, anger, heresy, violence, fraud and treachery in search of his true love, Beatrice. Both are based on part one of Dante Alighieri’s classic poem, The Divine Comedy, better known as Dante’s Inferno.
To give added distinction among each of the nine circles, EA and Film Roman (co-producers on the Dante’s Inferno project) are taking the innovative step of commissioning unique visions from multiple studios with experience creating some of the top anime in the industry to tell this classic story. Film Roman’s Joe Goyette is the producer on the project, Victor Cook is directing and Brandon Auman is writing.
“This is like nothing else out in the marketplace right now – a visually stunning project based on one of the most powerful stories ever told. It could only happen with a partner with the vision and creativity of EA. They were great collaborators on ‘Dead Space: Downfall,’ and we expect another very rewarding experience with this new feature,” said Film Roman studio head Jay Fukuto.
“The animated feature will be a great companion piece to the game. The feature will explore aspects of the poem that the game does not, and will provide more insight into the characters and the unique story adaptation that the game has established. It’s a very cool project, and we are having a blast collaborating with the talented team that Starz has assembled,” said Dante’s Inferno executive producer and creative director Jonathan Knight.
Dante’s Inferno marks the second such collaboration between the video game company and the animation studio. In 2008, Film Roman produced Dead Space: Downfall, an animated feature prequel to EA’s award-winning video game Dead Space, both of which were both worldwide successes.
Starz Media will introduce the Dante’s Inferno animated feature to the international television community as it continues global sales of Dead Space: Downfall at the MIPTV market in Cannes. Anchor Bay Entertainment will hold exclusive worldwide home entertainment distribution rights to Dante’s Inferno, while Starz Media’s Worldwide Distribution group will handle international television and domestic syndication sales and Starz Digital Media will be responsible for all digital distribution globally.
