Man, remember when those “Castle Wolfenstein” games were popular or were cutting edge? Remember when “Return To Castle Wolfenstein” was a big deal? Damn, we feel old. And yet, the brand and franchise continue to endure, and the long-gestating movie looks like it’s finally happening, with a rather interesting name set to guide.
His comeback is now official, as Roger Avary (who, in case you missed it, was also recently attached to direct the thriller “Airspace” with John Cusack in the lead) is slated to write and direct “Castle Wolfenstein.” Ambitiously being positioned as an action movie in the vein of “Captain America: The First Avenger” and “Inglourious Basterds” (because of its retro futurism and a new take on classic bad guys) the story follows a young US Army Captain and a British Special Agent on a top secret mission to Castle Wolfenstein, where Hitler will be for the unveiling of a new secret weapon. After reaching the Castle, our heroes are confronted by Himmler’s SS Paranormal Division and must fight, not only for their survival, but for a mission that could alter the course of the War. Actually, it sounds mostly like “The Raid” but in WWII, with ghosts and monsters and stuff.
Of course, being a videogame-based movie, our optimism isn’t high particularly when the narrative thread just reads like a level-by-level walkthrough. But perhaps Avary can put his own spin and sauce on it, and perhaps turn it into something inventive. At any rate, his fans will surely be happy to hear he’s back with more than one project cooking. Distributors are already circling ‘Wolfenstein,’ and the project is being repped at AFM.
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