Inferno picks up 'King of Fighters'

Film directed by Gordon Chan

By PATRICK FRATER

Inferno Entertainment, the U.S. sales, finance and production outfit, has picked up international sales on “King of Fighters,” a videogame adaptation being helmed by Hong Kong’s Gordon Chan. Pic was previously repped by Arclight Films.

It is set up as English-language co-production between Taiwan’s Double Edge Entertainment, China’s Enlight Media, Japan’s Micott & Basara, the U.S.’ Convergence Entertainment and Axis Entertainment, the U.S. shingle that brought in rights from the Japanese games developer SNK. Inferno has all rights outside Japan, which is handled by Micott.

The sci-fi actioner will lense entirely in Taiwan starting in mid-September. Casting is in progress and in addition to significant Anglophone stars will also involve a strong contingent from mainland China. That reflects game’s style and is needed for the film to qualify as a full Chinese co-production.

It’s one of the world’s most successful games. It was delivered in six generations by SNK, while a local developer made three editions for the Korean market, for total revenues of $3 billion. SNK is now understood to be developing a 10th edition skedded for release next fall at the same time as the movie.

Also on Inferno’s Cannes slate is Lasse Hallstrom’s “Hachiko: A Dog’s Story,” female ensemble comedy “The Women” and Paul Walker/Piper Perabo starrer “The Heaven Project.”