What do Kevin Spacey, Kate Bosworth, Parker Posey, Sam Huntington, and Brandon Routh have in common? Besides having starring roles in Bryan Singer’s forthcoming film Superman Returns as Lex Luthor, Lois Lane, Kitty Kowalski, Jimmy Oslen, and the Man of Steel himself, the actors have all added their voices and likenesses to Electronic Arts‘ Superman Returns: The Videogame.
EA’s video game adaption of the film was created by video game writer Flint Dille and famed comic writer Marv Wolfman, and expands the film’s basic plot to add additional DC villains Parasite, Metallo, and Bizarro, as well as draw on other elements of Superman’s 60-plus years in the funny books. Moreover, the game is due to ship June 26, 2006, four days before the Man of Steel hits North American theaters.
EA developed the Superman Returns game at its studios in Tiburon, Florida, in concert with movie director Bryan Singer and screenwriters Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris. The game also indicates the new level of attention Hollywood is paying to the video game market, ensuring not-only that top-quality talent is available for video game adaptations of blockbuster efforts, but that linked release dates and franchise consistency are priorities in developing the properties. Although the Superman Returns game isn’t likely to be the stuff of intense, professional video gamer competition, the sheer momentum of the DC Comics franchises has a built-in audience: by coordinating the content and releases, EA, DC Comics, and the studios maximize their market impact.
Good to know their hearts are in the game.
