The Just Cause Movie Just Took a Big Step Forward (And Fans Should Be Excited)

It seems that fans will be getting The Scorpion sooner than expected. Video game adaptations have been popping up left and right these past few days, with announcements for a Sleeping Dogs film starring Simu Liu, a Beyond Two Souls television series produced by Elliot Page, and a live-action Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 project all being revealed. While some are still in the earlier stages of pre-production, another project has made a big step forward. Back in May it was confirmed that Universal Pictures was developed a video game adaptation for the big screen with Blue Beetle‘s Ángel Manuel Soto set to direct a new movie based the Square Enix and Avalanche Studios game series, Just Cause. Now, the project just got a major update.

According to TheWrap, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan scribe Aaron Rabin is set to write the Just Cause adaptation. Although this is Rabin’s first video game adaptation, he is no stranger to the action-packed scene at Universal, as he wrote the upcoming action-thriller Nobody 2 alongside John Wick screenwriter Derek Kolstad, Umair Aleem, and Nobody‘s Bob Odenkirk. Seeing how the writer is well-versed in adaptation work, given his writing experience with Prime Video’s Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, fans are in for an adventure of a lifetime alongside Rico Rodriguez.

Nobody 2‘s Aaron Rabin Is Set to Write Universal Studios’ Just Cause Film Adaptation

RELATED: Just Cause Movie in the Works from Blue Beetle Director

The Just Cause film has had a bumpy road to get to this point, as the project has been in talks around Hollywood since 2010. It was teased in 2015 that Square Enix could see the events of Just Cause 3 making its way to the big screen, but that never came to fruition. However, 2017 brought a sign of hope for Just Cause fans, as it was announced that San Andreas director Brad Peyton would helm the film with DCEU star Jason Mamoa portraying Rico Rodriguez. By 2020, 8-Bit Christmas director Michael Dowse had taken over for Peyton, but no updates were given regarding the film’s progress or Mamoa’s involvement.

While we aren’t sure if Mamoa will be taking on the secret agent role anymore, given his casting as Lobo in the upcoming Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow film, it is coincidental to note that he just finished production on the Ángel Manuel Soto’s The Wrecking Crew film. When the project was announced, Soto was preparing for production on the Mamoa-Bautista action-comedy film, which means that Just Cause may begin moving into production sooner than we expect.

While the plot for the movie is being kept under wraps, the Just Cause game series follows Rico Rodriguez as he attempts to overthrow corrupt government regimes across the world. The 2006 video game series has been praised for its open-world design, innovative gameplay, and its over-the-top sandbox structure. We haven’t seen a new addition to the series since 2018’s Just Cause 4, which was met with mixed reviews from fans and critics. Seeing how the film has gotten movement with the addition of Aaron Rabin and the availability of Ángel Manuel Soto, it finally looks like this thrill-seeking project will finally be making its way to audiences after all.