Filmmaker J.J. Abrams said that Bad Robot’s long-gestating film adaptation of the hit video game series Portal is still in active development at Warner Bros.
While promoting the 4K Blu-ray release of his 2011 film Super 8, Abrams told IGN, “We actually do have a script that’s being written for the Portal movie now at [Warner Bros.] We’re really excited about the take and the pitch, so it feels like that thing’s finally on the rails.”
Abrams and Valve Software co-founder Gabe Newell first announced they were developing a Portal movie in 2013, and while Abrams has continued to tease progress on the project, no additional updates have been given. Since the first announcement, Abrams has been busy with other projects, including Star Wars, Star Trek and Westworld.
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However, Abrams is still excited to tell Portal‘s story. “It’s got enormous potential for a lot of reasons,” he said. “One of which is because of the limited narrative of the game, as ingeniously told as it is, the potential of it is so huge. It’s gonna be super fun.”
First released in 2007 as part of The Orange Box, a multi-game pack put out by Valve, Portal followed the story of Chell, a product tester for Aperture Laboratories who is tasked with solving a series of puzzles using a portal-generating gun. As she progresses through the trials, Chell learns more about the dark history of Aperture and the suspicious intentions of GLaDOS, the A.I. who maintains the facility and monitors the tests.
The game became a hit upon its release, with critics and audiences praising its unique gameplay, minimalist story, sense of humor and the original song “Still Alive” by Jonathan Coulton. A sequel, which delved deeper into GLaDOS’s backstory and her history with Aperture, was released in 2011 to further acclaim.
Abrams was also asked about Half-Life, the other Valve property that Bad Robot is said to be adapting. “The Half-Life thing, we’re not actively involved with at the moment.” Currently, Bad Robot is developing projects for HBO Max, including a reboot of Constantine and an anthology horror show with Stephen King.
Source: IGN
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