Synergy OTD: The Sims Movie

VARIETY: Fox brings 'SIMS' to bigscreen
Film will be a live-action version
By PETER GILSTRAP
Posted: Thurs., May 24, 2007, 7:30pm PT

20th Century Fox has acquired feature rights to the life simulation computer game "The SIMS" from Electronic Arts, and has set project up with Fox-based John Davis.

The five-year-old franchise is the best selling PC game in history, with worldwide sales topping 85 million, bringing in over $1.6 billion. Pic will be a live-action version.

Steve Asbell is overseeing the project for Fox with SIMS Studio head Rod Humble managing the creative property for Electronic Arts. Brian Lynch will script; story is under wraps with talent yet to be named.

"'The SIMS has done an interactive version of an old story, which is what it's like to have infinite power and how do you deal with it," said Humble. "Given that that's an old story, you can imagine how easily that would translate to traditional story telling."

Davis' most recent projects include "Norbit," "When A Stranger Calls," and "Eragon."

Lynch scripted and helmed upcoming "Big Helium Dog," and penned "Scary Movie 3," and is managed by Benderspink.

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Okay, somebody has to help me out here. If somebody makes a live-action film version of a video game that's a simulation of real life... isn't that just... a regular movie? You could call any movie 'The Sims Movie'. Heck, just pick the biggest hit of the season, claim it was the 'Sims' film, and show up for your free money.