Forums of the Megaverse®

Palladium Books® announces Rifts® Movie deal

May 8, 2003 – Palladium Books is pleased to announce it has entered into an option agreement with Walt Disney Pictures to have Jerry Bruckheimer Films develop a live action, major motion picture of the Rifts® role-playing game.

Jerry Bruckheimer Films has produced some of the biggest blockbusters in film history, including such hits as, Top Gun, Days of Thunder, The Rock, Con Air, Armageddon, Blackhawk Down, and the hotly anticipated Pirates of the Caribbean. We expect exciting days ahead and look forward to working with Jerry Bruckheimer Films and Disney.

“Obviously you don’t get any bigger or better than these two giants in the film industry,” said Kevin Siembieda, President of Palladium Books Inc., “We’re thrilled.”

In addition to producing, Disney will be handling licensing for the film. Surge Comic Properties’ President, Mark Freedman, of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles® marketing fame, is handling the licensing and merchandising based on the Rifts® role-playing game series.

Rifts® creator, Kevin Siembieda, will be present at the Palladium Booth throughout the 2003 Origins Game Convention, June 26-29, in Columbus Ohio, where he will be glad to talk about Palladium’s future and taking Rifts® mainstream. This is likely to be the only convention Mr. Siembieda will be attending this year.

I've know about this for about two weeks now and couldn't tell!!!

Congradulations to Kev and all the guys up in Michigan!!!

Tell Jerry I still want to drive Eleanore

What the hell is Eleanore? Jerry's badass car?

Hey, if I can make it for shooting, can I be an extra on the set? Please? What you guys need is a contest where one lucky Palladium fan gets to be in the movie. That person would probably get cut out, but they still get to claim they were there.

Ever see the Mustang in Gone in 60 Seconds? Jerry Bruckheimer bought the real one (4 mock ups were used in the film) and I wanna drive it!

I don't think it's possible for ANYONE to make a movie worse than that movie loosely based on D&D. I could have written a better screenplay for christsakes! ANYONE who ever played the game could have.

Oh, and if the Rifts script is anything like the novels, with dozens of main characters, burn it. Keep the movie focused to a relatively small group.

Look at what Brian Singer/the X-Men writers did with that movie. They had the chance to include dozens of characters and all kinds of minor storylines, but they didn't - they kept it focused and mature and it worked really well. Follow the same equasion and you will make something that will appeal to the general public and not just Rifts fans (which are a comparitively small bunch)

Wow, I need to verbally berate some of my contacts....

But still. Great news! So glad that Kev and Disney were able to see eye to eye on things!

I love Bruckheimer's work. That guy knows how to make an exciting film.

so i guess my hope that this movie would get an R rating is out the window being disney eh? unfortunately 90% of the time pg-13 = mediocrity

Disney has 3 divisions, this will not be a kiddy movie.

Oh and please remember Palladium will not have any control over the casting of this movie or any script approval. Thats in Mr. Bruckheimers very competent hands. I have faith that he's going to do an incredible job. This has been close to five years in negotiations and it feels so good to have it done.!!!!!

Remember a few weeks ago when I said to be patient. This was it. I was dieing to say it happened but could not!!!! Now I want a 12 inch Glitter Boy with a six inch pilot with sound effects.
OH and remember Guys/Gals Palladium is not doing the movie Bruckheimer and Disney are. So if you think it is gonna stink to high heaven don't take it out on Kevin and Palladium!!! They want the suck factor as low as possible as do the rest of us.
Oh and Steve Bucieme(SP?) as a Crazy.

Has Bruckheimer ever made a movie that wasn't cool????

Not that I know of, but then again I didn't see Kangaroo Jack, but my sons, girlfriends six year old thought that movie rocked!

Ultrabadass, Maryann! I've only seen the comercials for that movie, but I did see the Mustang and it was badass.

Days of Thunder is my least favorite. Then Top Gun......but that's probably because those were released during my childhood

..congratulations gang! I'm psyched! Looks like I have a reason to buy that sleeping bag I saw on sale the other day now.

-Mike >8]

Congrats to Palladium. I found out a few weeks ago when I talked to Kevin. He sounded like he was walking on air heading to cloud nine!

CG

Super Duper Congratulations Kevin!!!!! It's been a long time coming and I'm very happy to see it finally come to fruition. It's my greatest hope that the proceeds you get from this will make all the rest of your dreams come true.

Wow, this means we'll finally get Rifts toys, Action figures,and Happy meals o my!!!

Yipppppppie-kaiiii-yaaaaay....errr...I mean Goodness Gracious, Great Balls of Fire!!!....


oooooohhhhhh are they gonna sanitize the Coalition States with its Uber-Soldat glamorizations

Woo-hoo!

that is awesome....congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i just told my group and they are ecstatic about it

Any word on what the story is going to be about, or how long it's going to be until they have a release date?

This is awesome, I've been waiting to see this for a long long time, I know Bruckheimer will do a good job on it, and Disney won't mess things up because they saw how bad the D&D movie flopped, they don't want it to happen to them.

Oh, btw, Drakonred...

*beats Draekonred over the head with a dragonslaying sword*

J00 should have given us a hint or something!!!

Congratulations to Palladium Books.

I am anxious to see it.

Congrats, Palladium.

not a kiddie movie, super. i was worried about that from the moment i heard rumors about a movie. i'm more interestd in seeing the direction Palladium Books will go after the movie is released and their fanbase has grown exponentially. lots to be excited about!

I just hope Jerry doesnt cast someone like Vin Diesel for the part of main character.... He is a sportys money man, he isnt Sci Fi materiel. thats why XXX, and Fast and the furious we good, cause he looks like one of those thug G homies that would race cars, and do illeagle things. i hope they get someone like.... Hugh Jackman.

Dark lord, they wanted to keep their Jobs, witch is why they kept their mouths shut.

the only thing I knew was that no one was talking about it because the word was that anyone who blabed would not get any work from them for a while.

Make the movie in New Zealand!!
Look at how well we did LoTR!
That way I can go and get a job on the set and make some cool props, maybe get a job as an extra.
heh heh.. yeah right..
Well, all I can think of, about Disney and movies, is that the dog never dies.. so that's good news for the Dog Boys

I knew this day would come.. congrats Kevin!

you guys arnt gonna have any aproval on the story??

Congratulations for getting the deal done.

Just how long have the negiotions been going on?

OH MY GOD! oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god


Et cetera!

I've been hoping this would become a reality ever since I first heard about it in
one of them Rifter's, many, many, Rifters ago.

If I believed in any god, I'd pray for a good script, good characters/cast
and a good director.

Let's all hope this movie comes as close as possible to portraying the
wonder and amazement that is the Palladium Megaverse (ok, so maybe
with sequels; let's just hope it ROCKS Rifts Earth!)

First off, Congratulations Palladium! I get to see my favourite RPG system in film at last! Hurrah!

But for every good news, there is a dark side...


Indeed. Kangaroo Jack isn't exactly rave review material, especially here in Australia. In fact, from what I have seen it's quite offensive. Now I know that Bruckheimer is not entirely to blame, but were I he I would distance myself from that film, a LONG way, lest he become the kent burles of movie making.

All I can do is utter the eternal gamer's prayer, you know, the one that we all said before the curtain opened on the pot-boiler of the D&D movie.... Please God, don't let it stink. I wish that Kevin would be able to have more input, but hey, them's the breaks, and if that's what it takes to make a movie, so be it. Let's hear it for palladium. I'll buy a ticket!

Four years, eleven months, one week.

Great news!!!

*crosses fingers* Good luck Palladium!

Now is it my understanding that RIFTS has been Optioned for a movie? Or is it definate and work should start sometime soon. If you look at it this way, LOTS of licenses and Ideas get Optioned for a movie, but very litte ever comes of it. D&D the movie was optioned way back in like 1991. It took them what, 9 years to get it in the can?

Regardless for whatever happens ~ I congradulate the Peeps of palladiumbooks. I really look forward to such a movie!

Please tell me that KS will at the very LEAST be and advisor for the film!

Totally PSYCHED! Rock.

...................................Omote

Well, it's inevitable that some changes will be made from the original source material. ("The boys in the art dept. think that the Glitter Boy would look better covered with blue neon tubes, kinda like Tron."). I think that it would be amusing if Palladium released a "Movie Sourcebook" attempting to reconcile what is depicted in the movie with what had previously been established in the RPG.

You guys must be pretty rich now, eh? Are there any expensive projects that you've wanted to do but couldn't for lack of capital? Now's the time, methinks!

There are so many tid bits I wish I could tell everyone! But soon, ... soon ...

You know from what I've heard over the years and saw come into being from palladium, I have good vibes on this. Palladium has done Robotech, TMNT, RPG books, CCG, Mintures, et cetera. All in various degrees of Success. So hopefully, after this, Palladium will be in a better posistion to dominate the market. i wanna see Palladium Material become a household name in the areas like Todd McFarlane Toys (Imagine detailed Palladium Action Figures of that grade or better), RIFTS RTS Computer Games, Animated Series, Live Action TV Movies, maybe even a Palladium TV Series like Babylon 5 or Star Trek. Be nice seeing the mavericks of the rpg market proving once again, that they have The Right Stuff...an maybe a Full Colored, high Gloss, High Detail HArdbound Books;)

lets hope so!

you got that right!

...but whose counting, right?

CG

I think we're going to start seeign alot of license like this picked up. The Comic Movie thing (if it hasn't already) will start to get old and the studios will have to start looking for more material. The problem is tho that alot of the major license have already been "optioned" for film Especially over the last 4-5 years. ShadowRun comes to mind first.

I agree, seeing RIFTS on the Big screen will get the sales pumping and the jiuce flowing for Bigger and Better RIFTS (not just RPGs either. I just hope it's all for the best!

Oh yeah, MARYANN, PLEEEEEEAAAASSSSEEEE just give us a hint! please.
Well ok, maybe not - but I still can't wait for the rumors to really start flying!

.....................................Omote

true. (now ........if ever, would be a good time for a second EDition)

.....thing is, I am not sure i like the idea of a second addition .......don't know why really.
I think it does need a little work (and anyone that says it needs a total over hall, needs to re-read it IMHO) .......but I think a "face lift" or "update" MAY be worth it, I guess it all comes down to cost, and if this is about to net PB some nice wonger (cash) then now would be a better time than most i guess.

(pssst, its not gonna happen any time soon, meaning not in the next few years)

Which could hurt Palladium if they don't get it out by the time the movie is about to come out, because by then people are going to start looking into where Rifts came from and some are going to want to start playing...

And the Shadowrun movie liscense hasn't been picked up by anyone, yet. The MechWarrior movie has been announced (its somewhere on the Wizkids website) but they're producer is the same guy that did Eight Legged Freaks , so we got a better deal.

Hey Maryann, when can you drop you secrets???

I don't think we need a second edition for Rifts yet. Although... It might be nice to have all the world events storyline updated and collected into one book or something you could download. That would make it easy to introduce new players to Rifts, you just give it to them to read. That would save tons of effort trying to explain everything.

Hey, if the Rifts movie does good, does that mean we'll get a Nightbane movie next?

Also, you should get a ad done on the movie, like during the opening previews talking about the actual RPG, so that people realize that it's all based on the game, and not the other way around.