Empire Interactive plc, a leading AIM listed computer games developer and publisher,
today announced that it has licensed the interactive videogame rights to the eagerly
awaited Hollywood action-adventure film, Bulletproof Monk.

Licensed from MGM Interactive, the game will follow the premise of the film,
which is based on the comic book first published by Flypaper Press
in 1999. The film is being produced by John Woo and Terrance Chang’s
production company Lion Rock Productions, responsible for the critically
acclaimed film, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. . .

In Bulletproof Monk, a mysterious monk with no name has zigzagged
the globe to protect an ancient scroll – the Scroll of the Ultimate
Рwhich holds the key to unlimited power. Now the monk must find a prot̩g̩,
the scroll’s next guardian.

Kar is an unlikely candidate, a streetwise young man whose only interest is
himself. But when he saves the Bulletproof Monk from capture, the two become
partners in a scheme to save the world from the scroll’s most avid pursuer.
Together with the help of a sexy and elusive young woman called Bad Girl, they
seek out and face the ultimate enemy in a spectacular final battle packed with
dazzling effects and action.

The game is being developed by UK-based Mucky Foot Productions, makers of Blade
II and Urban Chaos, and is expected to be published by Empire
around Christmas 2003 on PC and all Next Generation platforms.

Ian Higgins, CEO of Empire said about the licensing deal, “Empire
has shown, once again, that it continues to be at the edge of new concept genre
gaming. We are delighted to have won the opportunity to work closely with MGM
Interactive on this unique property and believe it will become one of the video
game hits of 2003.”

“In collaborating with Empire, we continue our strong forward momentum
in selecting quality partners to bring our unparalleled film content into the
realm of interactive videogames,” added Neil Haldar, Vice President
of Production and Business Development, MGM Interactive. “We look forward
to working together in developing this film title into a variety of compelling
and challenging videogames as we continue to make new inroads into this rapidly
growing market.”

About MGM Interactive:
MGM Interactive, a unit of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. (NYSE: MGM), manages business
development and production of interactive products for a variety of multimedia
platforms, as well as talent and developer relationships. MGM Interactive’s
upcoming games include The Great Escape, from SCi, derived from the action-packed
cult classic; Robocop from France-based Titus Software; and Bulletproof Monk,
based on the upcoming film from MGM Pictures. For more information about MGM,
visit MGM Online at mgm.com.

About Empire Interactive:
Empire Interactive is a leading publisher of interactive entertainment software
that has been established for 14 years. The company floated on the Alternative
Investment Market (AIM) of the London Stock Exchange in July 2000. Headquartered
in the UK, Empire Interactive also has offices in the US, Germany, Italy and
Spain. The company develops and publishes a varied range of titles for the Sony
Playstation , Sony Playstation 2, Microsoft Xbox, Nintendo GBA and multimedia
PC markets in the US, Europe and Asia. Further information about Empire Interactive
and its products can be found at: empireinteractive.com.

Filed under: Games

Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!