Ethan Crossfield 
If you’ve ever wanted classic Atari games to feel like big-screen adventures, this deal is worth tracking. Atari has partnered with Entertainment 360 and Universal Pictures to develop film adaptations of ten iconic titles—starting with a screenplay from Matt Reilly and Carl Hampe.
What changed: Universal will adapt 10 Atari classics
Deadline reports that Atari, working with production company Entertainment 360, has signed a rights agreement with Universal Pictures to adapt ten of its best-known games into films. The lineup is built around the kind of recognizable, arcade-era concepts that don’t just rely on mechanics, but also on atmosphere and imagination—an approach the filmmakers say they want to preserve while expanding them into original, large-scale stories.
The confirmed titles in the deal include Asteroids, Adventure, Beserk, Breakout, Centipede, Crystal Castles, Millipede, Missile Command, Pong, and Yars’ Revenge. Universal’s involvement signals that these aren’t just “in development” announcements with no studio behind them; the project is structured around producing film adaptations for a full slate of classic properties.
Who’s involved: Matt Reilly and Carl Hampe write the first film
The first movie under the agreement will be written by Matt Reilly and Carl Hampe. Both writers are also set to produce the film, with Entertainment 360’s Guymon Casady attached as a producer as well.
Casady’s comments frame the creative goal as translating the spirit of the best Atari games—dropping audiences into a world and letting imagination fill in the gaps—into a fresh, cinematic adventure. In other words, the intent isn’t to treat these stories as direct retellings of old gameplay, but to build something new around the core feeling of the originals.
Reilly is described as a studio executive with leadership experience at major studios, including Warner Bros. and 20th Century Fox, and most recently as an executive vice president at Universal. He is also noted as president of production and creative at The Arena, a film-producing division of SNK. Hampe is described primarily as a producer and production supervisor, with credits on films including Hellboy (2019), Jungle Cruise, and most recently 65. Neither Reilly nor Hampe is presented as having prominent writing credits in the source.
What comes next: a slate of films, starting with one screenplay
For fans of Atari’s back catalog, the immediate takeaway is simple: Universal Pictures and Atari are working toward a multi-title film slate, with the first screenplay coming from Reilly and Hampe. The source doesn’t provide a release date or production timeline, but it does make clear that the deal is specifically about adapting ten classic games.
Atari’s presence in modern gaming may also help explain the momentum. While Atari has been away from the console spotlight for some time, it continues to publish and co-publish contemporary titles. It’s also associated with Digital Eclipse, which is slated to release retro collections of classic Barbie and Toy Story games—another sign the company is actively leveraging legacy IP in multiple formats.
For viewers, the best way to think about this deal right now is as a “watch-for-the-first-film” moment: once the initial screenplay moves forward, it will likely set the tone for how the rest of the classic Atari lineup gets treated.
What players should know
- Universal Pictures has secured rights to adapt ten Atari classics into films, including Pong and Breakout.
- The first film’s screenplay is by Matt Reilly and Carl Hampe, who will also produce it.
- Entertainment 360 is partnering on the project, with Guymon Casady attached as a producer.
- The confirmed game list spans multiple arcade-era staples, not just one franchise.
Expert View
This is the kind of deal that can go either way: the titles are instantly recognizable, but arcade concepts often need careful expansion to avoid becoming generic “game-to-film” re-skins. The stated creative intent—preserving the sense of discovery while building original adventures—gives the project a credible foundation. Still, with no production timeline or confirmed writing history highlighted, the real test will be how the first screenplay translates these worlds into something that works on screen.
