Kalyx triaD
11-29-2009, 12:26 PM
Yeah, I'm gonna use my amateur knowledge of Hollywood to totally talk about how I'd do things given the chance and resources. Because smug geeks like me love shit like that. I'm gonna start with King of Fighters, the long running fighting game series, because what's happening right now makes me fucking sick.
[Some ideas to follow were posted at another forum, but this isn't a copy/paste work, rewrites for my dawgs at TPdub. Also, this is a little long, so don't read it and pull that 'tldr' stuff please. You've been warned.]
First, four straight-to-DVD features; Fatal Fury, Art of Fighting, Psycho Soldier, and Metal Slug needs to drop. These would be inexpensive productions required to set up 'the universe'.
These four features, however inexpensive, will still have to meet a certain quality. The aim is still to profit create brand awareness. Each DVD will be released under the KoF banner, alluding to the idea that they share a universe. This will be supported with dialogue and cameos. I know it's vague and lame to say "I want my movie to be good," but I can only be vague at this point. Still, I got your story synopsis in any case.
Fatal Fury would be an ode to the 'Lone Warrior' hero, with Terry Bogard being the lead. Terry disapproves of his old home town being taken over by underworld leader, Geese Howard. Terry joins his brother Andy and his hot girlfriend Mai as they topple Geese and his henchmen. Simple, to the point, cheap, three months of production (including post) at best. I'd like this to be the initial film, so several subtle hints to the universe at large would be dropped - concerning Geese's connection to Rugal and the Orochi Legend especially.
Art of Fighting, whose original game had a rather Hollywood friendly plot, will be written as an ode to 90's action/revenge films. Ryo and Robert need to save Ryo's younger sister from villains. In the game, the villain was Mr. Big, but for this film the culprit will be Geese Howard (for universe consistency). This film would also stray from martial arts action to martial arts adventure, with big action set-pieces. This would help it have an identity compared to Fatal Fury. The ending needs to set up greater things at hand, while fatal Fury can end conclusively.
Psycho Soldiers would be adapted as "Athena and the Psycho Soldiers". Athena Asamiya is a teenage girl who aspires to be a pop idol. Who life changes when invaders from another world awakens her latent abilities from her mystical ancestor, Princess Athena. That's the plot of the original game, people, and I'm not changing shit (but her last name). This feature would grap the attention of the tween chicks who think iCarly is interesting. That demographic is leaning toward 'supernatural' themes as well. While FF and AoF's audience is obvious, Athena would hook a largely different broader group. This feature is important in the grand scheme of things, as I would write in hints of the coming supernatural Orochi plot of the eventual cross-over film. FF and AoF plays it straight in that regard (though they'd both have energy attacks at pivotal moments of their respective climaxes).
Ikari Warriors would be renamed "Metal Slug", in a move that would venomize fanboys - I'll need to gut Metal Slug's VG canon and implant Ikari Warrior's characters. I do this for two reasons, 1) Nobody remembers Ikari Warriors. Shit, I bet few people know where Ralph, Clark, and Leona actually came from. 2) Metal Slug is more marketable a name for that very reason, but I'm betting few people hold Metal Slug's canon sacred. I'm banking on the understanding of fanboys here, it's a dangerous game. So in this military-fantasy (Metal Gear, GI Joe) three rag-tag soldiers use experimental vehicles to defeat terrorist madman and his powerful machinations. I project this would be the most expensive of the four features, but it may be the most successful. It also offers the most creative freedom. With the initial hack-job with the title characters, you can pretty much go crazy after that. The important thing, however, is establishing Leona's link to the Orochi blood, and the main villain's link to a certain Rugal. This feature would be presented as adventure with martial arts elements. No energy attacks this round, I'm afraid. The various vehicles of the Metal Slug series needs to take center stage due to the namesake.
These features would be released three months apart, the formers hyping the following features with trailers and all that. On their own they should be full fledged releases, but each one will promote the eventual King of Fighters feature.
King of Fighters, unlike the four previous features, would be released in theaters and hyped as the 'ultimate crossover event'. It's all marketing, kids. This is key. The recognition of the four features combined with the KoF hype machine should generate the public to view/collect the DVDs in preparation of the crossover feature. "The King of Fighters" should also playfully divide fans of the four previous features. Something of an ARG system would work, with Athena 'Tweeting' and fans signing up to receiving 'top secret' file from the Metal Slug team. Hype is key. Participation is key. The KoF game series presents this team atmosphere with the characters, the audience needs to feel that.
The actual feature would pool all the main characters of the past movies together, highlighting one to be main characters of this feature. Rival heroes Kyo and Iori would be introduced, as well as main villain Rugal. The Orochi Legend plot teased in two of the four past DVDs will take center stage as well. Everything plays out on a grand team-based tournament, featuring supernatural martial-arts (time to cut loose). Athena and the Metal Slug characters will be pulled into a newer element (martial arts action), but given the actual game series that should be expected anyway. As the heroes try to stop Rugal from using the Orochi powers to take over the world or whatever, every team needs to have a 'moment' - some fanservice for each respective fan group. King of Fighters would continue as a series, with little need to fund sequels to the past DVDs.
And that's I what I would have done with SNK Playmore's honestly incredible characters and titles. I know it's TLDR but fuck that, I'm Serious Business about this shit. Sure it would be a big undertaking, 3-4 years production at most, but a well worth show. A team of writers, four directors, and one or two producers could have made this happen (rough projection). And though it's five features altogether, the final budget could be comparable to two or three 'big budget' Hollywood features.
Thanks for reading. More Armchair Hollywood stuff in the future, at least until I can record myself regularly.
[Some ideas to follow were posted at another forum, but this isn't a copy/paste work, rewrites for my dawgs at TPdub. Also, this is a little long, so don't read it and pull that 'tldr' stuff please. You've been warned.]
First, four straight-to-DVD features; Fatal Fury, Art of Fighting, Psycho Soldier, and Metal Slug needs to drop. These would be inexpensive productions required to set up 'the universe'.
These four features, however inexpensive, will still have to meet a certain quality. The aim is still to profit create brand awareness. Each DVD will be released under the KoF banner, alluding to the idea that they share a universe. This will be supported with dialogue and cameos. I know it's vague and lame to say "I want my movie to be good," but I can only be vague at this point. Still, I got your story synopsis in any case.
Fatal Fury would be an ode to the 'Lone Warrior' hero, with Terry Bogard being the lead. Terry disapproves of his old home town being taken over by underworld leader, Geese Howard. Terry joins his brother Andy and his hot girlfriend Mai as they topple Geese and his henchmen. Simple, to the point, cheap, three months of production (including post) at best. I'd like this to be the initial film, so several subtle hints to the universe at large would be dropped - concerning Geese's connection to Rugal and the Orochi Legend especially.
Art of Fighting, whose original game had a rather Hollywood friendly plot, will be written as an ode to 90's action/revenge films. Ryo and Robert need to save Ryo's younger sister from villains. In the game, the villain was Mr. Big, but for this film the culprit will be Geese Howard (for universe consistency). This film would also stray from martial arts action to martial arts adventure, with big action set-pieces. This would help it have an identity compared to Fatal Fury. The ending needs to set up greater things at hand, while fatal Fury can end conclusively.
Psycho Soldiers would be adapted as "Athena and the Psycho Soldiers". Athena Asamiya is a teenage girl who aspires to be a pop idol. Who life changes when invaders from another world awakens her latent abilities from her mystical ancestor, Princess Athena. That's the plot of the original game, people, and I'm not changing shit (but her last name). This feature would grap the attention of the tween chicks who think iCarly is interesting. That demographic is leaning toward 'supernatural' themes as well. While FF and AoF's audience is obvious, Athena would hook a largely different broader group. This feature is important in the grand scheme of things, as I would write in hints of the coming supernatural Orochi plot of the eventual cross-over film. FF and AoF plays it straight in that regard (though they'd both have energy attacks at pivotal moments of their respective climaxes).
Ikari Warriors would be renamed "Metal Slug", in a move that would venomize fanboys - I'll need to gut Metal Slug's VG canon and implant Ikari Warrior's characters. I do this for two reasons, 1) Nobody remembers Ikari Warriors. Shit, I bet few people know where Ralph, Clark, and Leona actually came from. 2) Metal Slug is more marketable a name for that very reason, but I'm betting few people hold Metal Slug's canon sacred. I'm banking on the understanding of fanboys here, it's a dangerous game. So in this military-fantasy (Metal Gear, GI Joe) three rag-tag soldiers use experimental vehicles to defeat terrorist madman and his powerful machinations. I project this would be the most expensive of the four features, but it may be the most successful. It also offers the most creative freedom. With the initial hack-job with the title characters, you can pretty much go crazy after that. The important thing, however, is establishing Leona's link to the Orochi blood, and the main villain's link to a certain Rugal. This feature would be presented as adventure with martial arts elements. No energy attacks this round, I'm afraid. The various vehicles of the Metal Slug series needs to take center stage due to the namesake.
These features would be released three months apart, the formers hyping the following features with trailers and all that. On their own they should be full fledged releases, but each one will promote the eventual King of Fighters feature.
King of Fighters, unlike the four previous features, would be released in theaters and hyped as the 'ultimate crossover event'. It's all marketing, kids. This is key. The recognition of the four features combined with the KoF hype machine should generate the public to view/collect the DVDs in preparation of the crossover feature. "The King of Fighters" should also playfully divide fans of the four previous features. Something of an ARG system would work, with Athena 'Tweeting' and fans signing up to receiving 'top secret' file from the Metal Slug team. Hype is key. Participation is key. The KoF game series presents this team atmosphere with the characters, the audience needs to feel that.
The actual feature would pool all the main characters of the past movies together, highlighting one to be main characters of this feature. Rival heroes Kyo and Iori would be introduced, as well as main villain Rugal. The Orochi Legend plot teased in two of the four past DVDs will take center stage as well. Everything plays out on a grand team-based tournament, featuring supernatural martial-arts (time to cut loose). Athena and the Metal Slug characters will be pulled into a newer element (martial arts action), but given the actual game series that should be expected anyway. As the heroes try to stop Rugal from using the Orochi powers to take over the world or whatever, every team needs to have a 'moment' - some fanservice for each respective fan group. King of Fighters would continue as a series, with little need to fund sequels to the past DVDs.
And that's I what I would have done with SNK Playmore's honestly incredible characters and titles. I know it's TLDR but fuck that, I'm Serious Business about this shit. Sure it would be a big undertaking, 3-4 years production at most, but a well worth show. A team of writers, four directors, and one or two producers could have made this happen (rough projection). And though it's five features altogether, the final budget could be comparable to two or three 'big budget' Hollywood features.
Thanks for reading. More Armchair Hollywood stuff in the future, at least until I can record myself regularly.