A film adaptation of one of the most legendary video games has lingered in development for several years, but it may have just taken a step forward. Deadline reports that Ben Zazove and Evan Turner have been engaged to write the screenplay for an upcoming adaptation of Space Invaders, the renowned Taito arcade game from 1978. Zazove and Turner recently penned The Out-Laws, an action-comedy for Netflix. Information regarding the Space Invaders film, such as its director, cast, or release date, remains unavailable.

This initiative was first announced over six years ago with screenwriter Greg Russo, recognized for the recent Mortal Kombat reboot, attached to the project. That proposal did not come to fruition, leading to the current participation of Zazove and Turner. Space Invaders does not possess a comprehensive plot, featuring a small spacecraft firing at alien ships heading towards Earth. The original arcade game provides little in the way of narrative complexity, so Zazove and Turner encounter the hurdle of transforming it into a film.

If the movie is ever realized, as numerous video game films are announced but only a handful are produced. I remember when Asteroids was planned for a film adaptation 15 years ago.