Deus Ex movie will be a cyberpunk film, not video game film

The live-action film adaptation of the Deus Ex video game series will be a cyberpunk movie, not a video game movie, according to co-writer Robert Cargill.

Films based on video game universes have in the past left a lot to be desired — many have been characterized by bad scripts, poorly-developed characters and a lack of care for the IP. Cargill said during San Diego Comic-Con last week that he'd originally been less than confident about the Deus Ex film when he was first approached to co-write the script, but Eidos Montreal's willingness to hand the reigns of the story over to the writers gave confidence.

"It's not a video game movie, it's a cyberpunk movie," Cargill said. "Eidos Montreal has given us a lot of freedom in terms of story; they want this movie to be Blade Runner. We want this movie to be Blade Runner."

Cargill expressed his desire to make a video game film that isn't mediocre, adding: "When people ask me if there's ever been a truly good video game movie, I always say: 'Yes, Mortal Kombat.' And they say: 'but that was 20 years ago.' And I say: 'Yeah, it was.'"

Coverage of Cargill's Comic-Con talk can be viewed at Screen Rant.

Polygon's Comic-Con coverage about the future of movies based on games can be read here. In our piece, we round-up opinions from various directions and writers who are adapting some of gaming's most-loved franchises into live-action films.