A Duke Nukem movie is on the way. Duke Nukem is one of gaming’s most beloved protagonists, even if he hasn’t had a new game in a decade. The foul-mouthed badass made a name for himself in the 90s with shoot-em-ups that rivaled the likes of Doom. Although Duke Nukem is largely a relic of the 90s as Duke Nukem Forever was in development hell for roughly a decade before being released in the early 2010s. The game was slammed by critics, but Duke Nukem has still tried to retain some relevance by popping up in other games like a remaster of Bulletstorm. Needless to say, Duke’s history is weird, but he’s about to make the move to Hollywood.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Cobra Kai creators Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg are set to produce a Duke Nukem film with Legendary Entertainment, the studio behind Dune and the recent Godzilla films.ย Assassin’s Creed producer Jean-Julien Baronnet is also attached to the project as his company, Marla Studios, specializes in video game adaptations. The film is the second adaptation of a Gearbox title following the upcoming Borderlands movie which has already wrapped production and is nearing a release in the near future. It’s also not the first attempt to adapt Duke Nukem for the big screen as John Cena was once tapped to play the character, but the film never came to be. As of right now, the producers are looking for a writer and no director is attached to the film, but an effort is being made to bring Duke Nukem to live action. It’s believed that one of the three minds behind Cobra Kai could be in contention to direct the film, however.
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As of right now, there’s no release date for the film nor plot details. Ideally, the film will still retain the absurdity and humor of the games while ramping up the over-the-top action. The world is very familiar with cursed video game movie adaptations, but the last few years have proven it is possible to bring video games to life in other mediums.
Are you excited for the Duke Nukem movie? Let me know in the comments below or hit me up on Twitter @Cade_Onder.