“Blue Beetle” director Angel Manuel Soto will direct the film adaptation of Square Enix and Avalanche Studios' best-selling video game series “Just Cause,” Universal Pictures announced Wednesday.
Kelly McCormick and David Leitch, producers of action films The Fall Guy, Bullet Train, Nobody and Violent Night, will produce through their first-look deal with 87 North and Universal.
The creative team behind Tomb Raider (available on Amazon and Netflix) and Paramount's Sonic the Hedgehog will also produce via Story Kitchen's Dmitri M. Johnson, Mike Goldberg and Timothy I. Stevenson, with Dan Jevons serving as executive producer.
Since its debut in 2006, the video game series from Square Enix and Avalanche Studios has depicted the adventures of Rico Rodriguez, a fictional U.S. secret service operative sent to destabilize and overthrow oppressive regimes. “Just Cause” has been praised for its spacious sandbox environments, extreme action and humor.
The film's storyline is being kept secret, but like the four Just Cause games, it will see Rico Rodriguez on a mission against time to stop the deadly mercenary group Black Hand. The series takes its name from the real-life U.S. invasion of Panama, code-named Operation Just Cause. Rodriguez (aka “Scorpion”) has become one of the few iconic Latino video game characters.
“Just Cause” is a flagship franchise from Square Enix, the publisher known for titles such as “Final Fantasy,” “Kingdom Hearts,” “Dragon Quest,” and the legendary “Space Invaders.”
“Just Cause” follows Universal Pictures' 2023 video game films “Super Mario Bros. The Movie” and “Five Nights at Freddy's,” which both grossed more than $1.4 billion and $290 million worldwide, respectively.
Max Jacoby will oversee production for 87North. SVP of production and development Ryan Jones and director of development Tony Ducre will oversee the project for the studio.
Manuel Soto is currently producing The Wrecking Crew for MGM/Amazon, starring Jason Momoa and Dave Bautista. He is also writing a Transformers spinoff with Marco Ramirez, and is considering directing for Paramount. Previously, he directed Blue Beetle for Warner Bros./DC.
Manuel Soto is repped by CAA and Redefine Entertainment. 87North is repped by CAA and JSSK. Story Kitchen is repped by WME, Pryor & Cashman & TriplePoint PR.
