In the Earth’s Ben Wheatley is Eager to Helm Doom Film Adaptation

April 20, 2021

Just over 15 years ago, id Software’s iconic first-person horror shooter game franchise Doom finally got the big screen treatment from Universal Pictures with the 2005 adaptation, though it debuted to poor reviews and box office receipts. With the game franchise now also back on track, there is one director in Hollywood eager to give the franchise another shot at big screen success.

In an interview with The Playlist podcast, filmmaker Ben Wheatley (In the Earth) revealed that he has a desire to bring a video game to life on the big screen, particularly his own take on the Doom franchise to the screen. Wheatley was previously set to make his video game debut helming the Alicia Vikander-fronted Tomb Raider 2, though scheduling conflicts forced him to drop out of that project.

“I still want to make a Doom film though,” said Wheatley. “I know it’s been done, but come on! Or Counter-Strike, that would be the one I’d like to make.”

Universal first tried their hands with a Doom film in 2005 with a cast led by an on-the-rise Dwayne Johnson (Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw) and Karl Urban (The Boys), but took a looser approach to adapting the material and borrowed elements from the then-newly-released third installment in the game franchise, which has continued to divide fans on its shift from all-out action to horror. Despite the first film’s lackluster reception, the studio produced a straight-to-video reboot, Annihilation, due to the success of the 2016 game.

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Though that film received generally better reviews from critics, it was still a mixed reception and didn’t garner a lot of sales at home media, but with the game franchise still garnering rave reviews and sales success and both Wheatley and Annihilation helmer Tony Giglio eager to helm films, the door isn’t completely closed on another feature adaptation in the future.

In the meantime, Ben Wheatley has his dance card fairly full as he is fresh off the release of his latest horror film, In the Earth, and is set to helm the Jason Statham-led creature feature sequel The Meg 2 with Dean Georgaris and Jon & Erich Hoeber penning the script.

(Photo Credit: Jeff Spicer/Getty Images)