Michael Bay And Sydney Sweeney Team On Movie Adaptation Of ‘OutRun’ Video Game

With A Minecraft Movie owning the box office over the past month and HBO’ The Last of Us returning with a bang, Universal is looking to add its own video game adaptation to the mix with the help of two big superstars. Sources said that the studio is developing a feature adaptation of Sega’s iconic arcade video game OutRun, with Michael Bay attached to direct and Sydney Sweeney aboard to produce. Jayson Rothwell will pen the script.

Bay will also produce alongside partner Brad Fuller through their Platinum Dunes banner, which has a first-look deal with the studio. The project is in development; as of right now, Sweeney is only on board to produce. Toru Nakahara (Sonic the Hedgehog 1-3, Knuckles, Golden Axe) will also produce for Sega and Shuji Utsumi (president/COO of Sega Corp.) will oversee the project on behalf of Sega.

Plot details are vague. Sega’s OutRun series is a franchise that originated from some of the most successful arcade games in the world during the 1980s. The game pioneered a new genre of driving games and spawned an electronic music subgenre aptly called “OutRun.” The unique combo made it a worldwide hit. Since then, numerous installments have been released, including home console versions, and it continues to be one of Sega’s flagship franchises.

While the industry is having a moment with video game adaptations, Universal is no stranger to adapting them into hit movies. OutRun is slated to follow The Super Mario Bros. Movie and Five Nights at Freddy’s,  which grossed $1.4 billion and $290 million, respectively, in global box office.

Sweeney may be one of the town’s busier stars in front of the camera but over the past year has become active on the producing front as well. She recently produced and starred in her Neon horror pic Immaculate and is also a producer on the Christy Martin biopic in which she also stars.
Bay, Fuller and Platinum Dunes have also been busy, recently producing A Quiet Place: Day One. They also produced the thriller Drop alongside Blumhouse.

Rothwell’s recent credits include Polar and Arachnid.
Bay is represented by Range Media Partners. Sweeney is represented by Paradigm and Stewart Brookman at Hansen, Jacobson, Teller, Hoberman, et al. Rothwell is represented by Cliff Roberts at Syndicate Entertainment, and Austin Williams at Sloan Offer Weber & Dern.