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Exclusive: The life story of the original video game Rockstar comes to the big screen. John Romero is known as the Godfather of first-person shooters, pioneering titles such as: Doom, Wolfenstein 3D and earthquakeA book about his life is currently being developed as both a documentary and a scripted series.
Romero's autobiography Doomguy: Life in First Person Published last year to critical acclaim, it forms the basis of a documentary by Canadian filmmaker Rob McCallum, who recently won the TIFF People's Choice Award for his Amazon documentary. Mr. Dress Up: The Magic of Pretend PlayA TV adaptation of Romero's book is also in the works, with Naomi Harvey serving as executive producer on both projects under her Golden Possum Productions banner.
Romero's book describes how his Mexican, Cherokee and Yaqui ancestry and his coming of age in the United States in the 1980s led to his pioneering work in the games industry and the founding of seminal companies such as id Software and Ion Storm, which he co-founded with John Carmack.
The video game icon said: “After speaking with Rob and Naomi, I knew they were the perfect team for this game. Doomguy “We live our lives. Our backgrounds and aspirations are uncannily similar, and I believe that tells a story.”
McCallum Mr. Dress Up: The Magic of Pretend Play It was nominated for five awards at this week's Canadian Screen Awards.
Talk about DoomguyHe said: “John Romero's journey is the missing antidote for all of us misfits looking for hope and comradeship in the darkness of the world. It's incredible rock 'n' roll, boundary-breaking and a thrilling journey based on humanity, honesty, perseverance and masterful chess moves cloaked in innocence, tenacity and pure cool.”
Harvey added: “John's story is incredibly powerful – not only about the revolutionary game he created, but also the profound impact he had on those around him. His is a story of overcoming trauma, and one full of compassion and inspiration.”
