Need For Speed Film Confirmed

Vin Diesel and his gang of Fast & Furious fugitives have a new rival, with confirmation this week that the long-running Need For Speed video game series is coming to the big screen.

With 19 games up its sleeve and a 20-year history, the big-screen debut of Electronic Arts racing franchise has been a long-time coming.

EA has teamed with Steven Spielberg's Dreamworks to bring the $4billion series to the cinema.

“I'm excited about getting back into the creative trenches with John and George Gatins and my partners at EA to bring to life an exhilarating script based on an epic video game that seems to have been made for the movies,” Spielberg said.

The film will be helmed by Scott Waugh, director of this year's unique Act of Valor film that starred active Navy SEALs playing characters in a fictional story. (See trailer here.)

Tasked with developing a script from the many different storylines in the NFS universe are brothers George and John Gatins, with the latter brother's most recent work including last year's Hugh Jackman vehicle, Real Steel.

Earlier reports have suggested the script will draw on the recent Need For Speed: The Run game, which sees character Jack Rourke pursued by the mob as he races to win a $25 million prize and clear the bounty on his head.

The more recent Need For Speed: Most Wanted could also offer some inspiration for the film, with some of the world's most desireable supercars chased across a metropolitan landscape by the boys in blue.

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