"World Market Leader in Video Game Adaptations" to Film in Hawaii

"'Die Hard' on an island": An ex-Special Forces guy stranded in Micronesia searches for his charge after their boat is destroyed by mercenaries.

Michael Tsai reported in today's Honolulu Advertiser that local production company Hawaii Film Partners will be very busy next year. Among the two films, one animation project, and one TV series ("Flight 29 Down"'s third season) on the company's slate is a $15 million film called "Far Cry."

"Far Cry" is based on a video game of the same name, and will be one among a string of video game-to-film adaptations directed by Uwe Boll, whose own German-based production company BOLL KG considers itself the "World Market Leader in Video Game Adaptations." Boll has been able to finance his films independently, outside of the Hollywood studio system, because of the generous German tax shelter offered to film investors. Though many Hollywood studios have abused this tax shelter via sale-and-leaseback schemes (thus prompting a reform of the law earlier this year), Boll actually used the incentive as it was meant to be used: to stimulate investment in German entertainment properties.

Interestingly, Boll is a much maligned director who recently got so fed up with the invective hurled at him by armchair geek-critics who hide behind the Internet that he literally beat them into submission when he challenged them all to a real-life physical boxing match--a stunt that one of his four (defeated!) challengers called "a combination of PR and BS." Read about it here in Wired Magazine. And check out clips of the fights on YouTube.

>> 2 films, 1 TV series slated for Hawai'i [Hnl Advertiser, 11/29/06]
>> Raging Boll [Wired Magazine, December 2006]

UPDATE, 11/30: I keep forgetting to post this Pacific Business News article from a few weeks ago that goes into detail about Hawaii Film Partners' slate. The title, "Local group to spend $57M on four films," is inaccurate though, as it should read "four projects" (there are 2 films, 1 animated TV series, and 1 live action TV series). Oh well...

RELATED POSTS:
>> Local Film Co. Enters Into $20m Agreement
>> German Free Ride is Over
>> Europe on the Cheap
>> "Flight 29 Down"'s 2nd Season Premieres 9/9