Max Payne, Alice on track

Hollywood producer Scott Faye has confirmed that the big screen adaptations of Max Payne and Alice are still on track and are coming along nicely, thank you.

According to John Baudiosi's Hollywood Bytes column, shooting on Max Payne is likely start either at the end of this year or the start of 2007.

A "well-known screenwriter" has been hired to do the script, and the budget "could be anywhere from $10 million to $100 million, depending on the vision." But since producer Scott Faye doesn't believe in throwing money at special effects just to lure moviegoers, it's likely to be "somewhere in the middle range."

Faye decided to produce the game after stumbling on a cardboard standee of Max Payne at E3 '98, which reminded him of the good old fashioned cop films they used to make in the sixties and seventies. Apparently the Max Payne movie is going to take inspiration from Clint Eastwood classic The Outlaw Josey Wales.

"Put yourself in a mindset where you've built up this life, not a 100 per cent perfect life, but one you enjoy living, and then in one moment everything is snatched away from you," Faye told Baudiosi.

"With Max Payne, we need to mine and transpose the character into the parameters of linear entertainment and find subtle ways to remind the audience throughout the film of the pain that the character is going through."

Faye is also producing Alice, and shooting is likely to start this summer. Marcus Nispel, whose previous credits include the Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake and numerous music videos, will direct the film, and Sarah Michelle Buffy will star. The budget will be between $40 million - $50 million and the film is slated for a 2007 release.

"The script that we have now blends the spirit of the original work by Lewis Carroll with American McGee's unique vision of the mythology to create a story that is very compelling," said Faye.

"What makes this different from other situations is that we have our Alice and we have a director that has a very visceral sense of how this game world should look on the big screen."

Faye is also working on a third videogame adaptation that has yet to be announced, and he's working closely with the developers of all three games to ensure that the movies do them justice.

"With any of the games that I'm turning into films, it's important to create a movie that will not offend the core base of gamers who love the property, while adding depth to the story to attract a potentially bigger movie-going audience," Faye said.