Twenty years prior to now, Abe’s Oddysee launched on PlayStation and, since its launch, its creator Lorne Lanning has always dreamt of bringing the Oddworld universe to the big show. No matter having cease the video video games enterprise in 2005 to focus on film enchancment, an Oddworld movie certainly not received right here to maneuver. However, now Oddworld Inhabitants is tough at work on Oddworld: Soulstorm Lanning has a renewed plan to take Abe to studio heads.
Moreover, in typical sort for Lanning, his response to my question at EGX 2017 is one thing nonetheless simple.
“Do you fly fish?”, he asks me in, what appears like, a sure-fire choice to dodge my question about bringing Oddworld to the big show. “The rationale why people tie their very personal flies is that it have to be very specific to what [the fish] are consuming. You’ve obtained to find out what they’re consuming and present it merely fully so that they’ll chew.
“Almost each factor in life is that method.”
From there, Lanning reveals that Oddworld Inhabitants is developing a rich asset library for Soulstorm. The belongings the workforce has at current revealed current renders and designs that far exceed one thing that the workforce would need for the likes of Soulstorm, nonetheless the intention is to make them actually scalable, and resulting from this reality viable for model spanking new mediums.
“We wished to take the prospect to upscale these databases so, when the linear trans-media companies take a look at it, [studio heads] go ‘wait a minute, a worthwhile IP, a decades-old franchise with a loyal fan following that sells tens of tens of millions of fashions, why isn’t this a movie?’”
That’s Lanning’s fly. “We’re lining the dominoes up so that they go ‘oh, what an excellent thought!’”
An Oddworld movie has always been on the enjoying playing cards for the franchise, one factor that’s been at the back of Lanning’s ideas for years. While you’re questioning why a film didn’t happen sooner, it’s not for lack of curiosity. In fact, Lanning blames himself for missing out on the prospect.
“Once more after now we have been engaged on Munch’s Oddysee a youthful producer referred to as Bryan Burk had a companion who was a director that no individual had heard of – J.J. Abrams”, he explains in hushed tones. “This was sooner than he’d completed Felicity, and I was too busy and wrapped up in enchancment to study the treatment.
“That was part of a legacy of missed options on account of recreation enchancment.”
Nonetheless now, Lanning is targeting the responsibility at hand and, because of the altering nature of how we devour media, he’s warming to the idea of constructing a TV sequence as an alternative.
“The considered doing a persistent sequence is much extra collaborating than doing a 90-minute movie that goes out in a single and presumably will get a sequel,” he explains. “It takes lots money to get a film off the underside, nonetheless we’re developing frugally. Although we’re nonetheless spending tens of tens of millions of {{dollars}} in the event you see one factor on-screen and assume ‘that might want to have worth $50 million!’ we’re aiming for it to solely have worth spherical $10 million.”
It’s that cost-effectiveness that must stack up correctly for any studio fascinated with working with the IP. With a database of high-resolution, nearly hyper-realistic, renders on the market to work with – alongside the rich Oddworld lore to assemble a story upon, Lanning’s plan is to make it an irresistible prospect.
“We’re attempting to preload the desk so that it’s obvious a movie or TV sequence ought to enrich [the franchise].”
His objectives may sound lofty, but it surely certainly’s vulnerable to succeed if Soulstorm does correctly on launch. Netflix is large on investing in distinctive programming on issues which have loyal fan-followings. Not solely does it unironically host a sea of schlocky b-movies like Zombeavers, Wolfcop and Giant Ass Spider! but it surely certainly invested in producing a very new animated sequence primarily based totally on Castlevania because of it knew there was an avid fan following thirsty for a model new entry into the franchise.
Hopefully, if the prospect comes knocking as soon as extra, Lanning acquired’t flip it down because of he’s busy engaged on Soulstorm or irrespective of comes subsequent throughout the Oddworld franchise.
It’s possible you’ll study our full interview with Lorne Lanning on Soulstorm, Oddworld Inhabitants and what comes subsequent, shortly.
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