UPDATE: While publisher Deep Silver says it has received a lot of interest in its upcoming zombie game, the company says that the film rights to Dead Island have not been sold. Deep Silver is Dead Island's sole IP holder. While that doesn't mean that the possibility of a movie adaptation is out of the question, Deep Silver says that it's taking a conservative approach to the idea.
“We are looking for quality above all else for a movie based on Dead Island. We want to do it the right way as film realizations of games (or vice versa) usually fail to deliver what the fans were looking for. We will not go down this route with Dead Island. Deep Silver profoundly believes in the quality and value of its Dead Island IP,” says Klemens Kundratitz, CEO of Deep Silver's parent company Koch Media. “We would therefore be honored to work with someone who already has a proven track record with blockbuster movies.”
The cinematic trailer for Techland's upcoming zombie game Dead Island has been a viral hit online, scoring millions of views since its debut a few days ago. More than a few people have realized its potential as a full-length film as well, with Hollywood freaking out over the possibilities.
According to Deadline, later refuted by Deep Silver's statement, the film rights were secured by Mummy producers Sean Daniel Company and Union Entertainment nearly a year ago. The site initially reported that companies were fielding offers from a number of studios and agencies, but that it was still at an exceptionally early stage at this point. Deadline said that a Dead Island film would take the same approach as the trailer, shifting between flashbacks and present-day action to tell the story of chaos erupting on a tropical resort, but that was apparently a case of wishful thinking.
The trailer is quite good, but Techland is in the unenviable position of having to follow up its own hype with a game that lives up to player expectations. Best of luck.