Why The ‘Saints Row’ Movie Didn’t Happen
A film based on theSaints Rowvideo game series spent a little while in development. At one point,Curtis “50 Cent” Jacksonwas involved in the project, and before thatDwayne Johnsonconsidered starring in the film. Now, a former executive producer on the video game adaptation has written a piece detailing what happened to the R-rated,Escape From New York-inspired movie.
Below, find out why theSaints Rowmovie didn’t happen.
This week marks the 10th anniversary ofSaints Row, a popular, well-liked game comparable toGrand Theft Auto. The firstSaints Rowgame sold two million copies. Since then, there have been three other games released in the series. With a strong fanbase, the development of aSaints Rowmovie was inevitable. Over atFandom, producerNick Nunziata— the creator of CHUD.com and executive producer ofDon’t Be Afraid of the Dark– explained why the film never materialized.
In short: the series' developer and publisher, THQ, went bankrupt.
Nunziata wrote that the project, which involved producersLloyd Levin(Watchmen) andAndrew Cosby(2 Guns), interested “huge directors” and “A-list stars were on the menu.” Their vision forSaints RowwasEscape From New Yorkbut bigger and with the attitude of the video game series.
Originally, screenwriterPeter Aperlo’s treatment had an original character entering this world through a reality show, described as “a sort of urbanSurvivorwith real bullets.” It was a revenge story, but the producers thought an origin story would’ve been a more suitable introduction toSaints Row, so Aperlo reworked the story and wrote the script:
So, our plot ended up hitting a lot of the same notes as SRII, with the Boss as a Count of Monte Cristo figure coming in to reclaim what was once his. Throw into the mix Dane Vogel wanting to convert a chunk of Stilwater into a private prison (something that’s still relevant today) and a lot of over-the-top action and darkly humorous social commentary (a la the original RoboCop), and that was essentially our SR.
RoboCopandEscape From New Yorkaren’t bad R-rated templates to follow, but once a major star started circling the project, the screenwriter wrote a softer, safer version:
Aperlo was proud of everyone’s work. He conceded that, yes, what they were making was cartoony — and there’s nothing wrong with that — but it “had something to say.” The screenwriter and all involved had high hopes for the project.
Nunziata concluded he doesn’t know what the future holds forSaints Row, which once had directorÁlex de la Iglesia(The Last Circus) attached to direct. The executive producer also pushed forDan Trachtenbergto direct long before he made this year’s hit film10 Cloverfield Lane, but how serious those discussions were, and whether Trachtenberg even discussed the project with the producers, is unclear.
If you want to learn more about this wild, hard-R scrapped adaptation ofSaint’s Row, then check out Nick Nunziata’s post. Over there, you’re able to also see some more of artistClay Staub’s concept art:
