Atari partners with Universal to turn 10 classic games into films

Universal Pictures has signed a partnership with Atari and production company Entertainment 360 to develop film adaptations of ten classic Atari arcade titles – Asteroids, Adventure, Berzerk, Breakout, Centipede, Crystal Castles, Millipede, Missile Command, Pong and Yars’ Revenge. Universal has already acquired the first screenplay, written by former Warner executive Matt Reilly and veteran writer Carl Hampe, with Guymon Casady producing for Entertainment 360. Atari chairman and CEO Wade Rosen said the company’s five‑decade‑long legacy makes the brand “still part of popular culture” and expressed excitement about bringing the games to a new medium.

The deal, announced by Deadline, aims to create large‑scale action‑adventure movies and leaves open whether the projects will be linked as an “Atari cinematic universe.” Earlier attempts to adapt Atari titles – such as an Asteroids film in 2009 – never reached production, making this the most coordinated effort to translate the retro catalog to the big screen.