Variety is reporting that Warner Bros. has picked up most of Midway Games’ assets in a bankruptcy court fire sale to the tune of $33 million, including the rights to some of their most popular video games like “Mortal Kombat,” “Spy Hunter” and “Joust.”
The Chicago-based video game developer started manufacturing arcade video games over 35 years ago with games like “Space Invaders” and “Pac-Man” before moving their focus to console video games. They declared bankruptcy earlier this year and Warner Bros. made a bid for the properties in May that was declined, as Midway chose to put out a call for other bids and hold an auction for its properties. Last week, a Delaware bankruptcy court judge okayed the deal after the initial objections were resolved.
Warner Bros. wouldn’t disclose to Variety what their plans might be for the properties, although they decided not to buy Midway development studios in San Diego and England. Mortal Kombat already spawned two feature films as well as animated and live action television shows, but attempts at relaunching the franchise at New Line (now folded into Warner Bros.) have generally faltered, while a Spy Hunter movie has been in development hell at Universal for many years with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson attached. The last update had Paul W.S. Anderson, director of the first Mortal Kombat, taking over development of Spy Hunter, after a long line of Hollywood writers have tried to tackle a script. It’s also interesting to note that the latest incarnation of the “Mortal Kombat” video game had them fighting characters from the DC Universe, of which the film rights belong to Warner Bros.
Let us know in the comments what you think of this new development. Do you want to see another “Mortal Kombat” movie or finally see that long-discussed Spy Hunter movie or even (shudder) a possible movie based on “Joust” or “Ms. Pac Man”? Let us know!
