Twenty years ago, director Uwe Boll went on a spree of making video game adaptations which, as The Hollywood Reporter puts it, “often took liberties with the original material.” The movies we got out of that spree: House of the Dead (2003), Bloodrayne (2005), BloodRayne 2: Deliverance (2007), BloodRayne: The Third Reich (2011), Postal (2007), Far Cry (2008) In the Name of the King (2007), In the Name of the King 2: Two Worlds (2011), In the Name of the King 3: The Last Mission (2014), and Alone in the Dark (2005). Some of his movies rank on on IMDb’s “Bottom 100” film list, with House of the Dead recently sitting at 7th and Alone in the Dark at 13th. Even then, as you can see on that list of video game adaptations, they often spawned sequels. House of the Dead got a sequel, House of the Dead 2, in 2005, and Boll had nothing to do with that one. He was a producer on 2008’s Alone in the Dark II – and now, The Hollywood Reporter has learned that he’s planning to reboot the Alone in the Dark film franchise.
Closer to the Game
The H.P. Lovecraft-inspired video game franchise, which follows private detective Edward Carnby in his fight against the undead, has spawned seven games and sold millions of units worldwide. Boll’s company Event Films has optioned the film rights to the series from game publisher THQ Nordic.
Boll told The Hollywood Reporter that is reboot will stick closer to the game, drawing inspiration directly from the 2024 version of the game. In that one, private investigator Edward Carnby and Emily Hartwood journey to the creepy Derceto Manor in 1920s Louisiana to find Emily’s missing uncle, Jeremy. Inside the asylum for the mentally fatigued, they uncover a shadowy cult, strange residents, and gateways to nightmarish, Lovecraftian dimensions, battling monsters and confronting dark secrets tied to Jeremy and the estate’s sinister past, all while piecing together a plot involving ancient evils. For the game, the roles of Edward Carnby and Emily Hartwood were played by David Harbour and Jodie Comer.
Boll said, “We will capture the spirit and the era of the original games and follow the story of the new game. We can´t wait to reboot the franchise and cast our new Edward Carnby.” Christian Slater played Edward Carnby in Boll’s 2005 film, with Rick Yune taking over the role for the 2008 sequel.
It’s worth noting that our own Arrow in the Head, a.k.a. John Fallon, had small role in the first Alone in the Dark, where he played tech guru Agent Yonek.
TV Plans
Beyond this feature film reboot, Boll and his production partner Michael Roesch are also hoping to develop the Alone in the Dark franchise into a TV series.
What do you think of Uwe Boll rebooting the Alone in the Dark film franchise? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
