Look out, Tom Clancy, there’s another intrigue writer sneeking over the border and into the lucrative interactive entertainment field. Vivendi Universal Games (VU Games) today announced that it has acquired exclusive global rights to publish games based on the spy novels of Robert Ludlum, the acclaimed author of such bestsellers as The Bourne Identity and The Bourne Supremacy.
“Properties like Bourne and Covert One naturally lend themselves to video games, and we are excited to bring Robert Ludlum’s stories to life in a way that has never been done before,” says Jeffrey M. Weiner, CEO of Ludlum Ent. “Our long-term partnership with VU Games underscores our belief in the creativity and vision that the development team will bring to these exciting new projects.”
Ludlum, who died in 2001, remains a hot commodity in Hollywood. The phenomenal big-screen success of The Bourne Identity and The Bourne Supremacy has led to film adaptations of The Chancellor Manuscript, coming in 2006 from Paramount Pictures, and The Bourne Ultimatum, slated for release in 2007 by Universal Pictures. Other Ludlum yarns to make it to the screen over the years include The Osterman Weekend (1983) and The Holcroft Covenant (1985). His books have sold more than 290 million copies worldwide.
