The Hollywood Reporter broke the news today that a live-action Pac-Man movie is in development, with work on the film being done by Bandai Namco, Wayfarer Studios and Lightbeam Entertainment. The idea for the film came from producer, animator and editor Chuck Williams, notable for his work on Sonic the Hedgehog and Disney animations such as Aladdin and Beauty and the Beast.
With its original Japanese arcade release in July 1980, Pac-Man has now been around for more than 40 years, crossing over into a variety of media including two original animated TV series. This will be the first time there has been a dedicated movie for the iconic character, but far from the first time it has made an appearance in film. The 2015 film Pixels featured a gargantuan live-action Pac-Man, and the character also appeared in Wreck-It Ralph (2012) and the sequel, Ralph Breaks The Internet (2018).
Pac-Man is just the latest in a long line of retro gaming legends receiving their own live-action films. Movies like Detective Pikachu, Sonic the Hedgehog and the upcoming untitled Mario film have revitalised Hollywood’s interest in video game movies, after an unfortunate history of critical and commercial failures.
Exactly what a Pac-Man film could be about is a mystery. All we know is that we are one step closer to the Smash Bros movie of our dreams. Details remain very sparse at the moment, but do you have any hope for the project? How could Pac-Man make the transition to live-action? Whatever you think of the news, let us know in the comments below. For more video game movie news, keep your eyes on GameLuster!
