Atari and Universal to create movies based on classic properties including Asteroids and Missile Command

Atari is moving Asteroids and Missile Command into film development with Universal, extending two of the company’s most durable arcade-era brands beyond games. The move puts another pair of classic IPs into Hollywood’s adaptation pipeline, where recognizable names can carry projects even when the original gameplay is extremely abstract by modern standards.

For Game Developers, the interesting part is less the existence of the deal and more what it implies about IP value. Atari is clearly betting that the identity of these brands still has commercial weight, even though neither game has a built-in narrative in the way a modern franchise does. That means the adaptation team will have to invent a lot of connective tissue: characters, stakes, worldbuilding, and a tone that can support a feature-length film.

Atari boss Wade Rosen framed the move as an effort to bring the spirit of the company’s iconic games to a new medium. That usually translates into a familiar challenge for anyone working with legacy properties: preserve the recognizable hook while building something that works for a different audience and format. The exact creative teams, release window, and production scope haven’t been disclosed yet.

The broader context is straightforward: classic game IP remains attractive because it offers instant recognition, even when the source material is mechanically simple. For studios, that can mean lower brand-building risk; for developers, it’s a reminder that old properties can still have value well outside the original platform, especially when the brand has enough...