John Woo to Direct Warren Spector's Ninja Gold

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In an unusual partnership, acclaimed designer Warren Spector (Deus Ex, System Shock, Wing Commander) is collaborating with action film director John Woo (Hard Boiled, The Killer, Paycheck) on Ninja Gold, a video game set to be adapted into a film directed by Woo, reports Reuters. Spector will serve as executive producer on the film project.

It is unclear what studio will develop the Ninja Gold game. Spector's own Austin-based Junction Point Studios, founded in 2005, is known to be working on a fantasy or science fiction project. Woo's game studio, Tiger Hill Games, is currently contributing to Midway Games' John Woo Presents Stranglehold (PS3, X360, PC). There was no indication of how involved Tiger Hill will be with Ninja Gold.

Set in the present era, Ninja Gold tells the story of a member of an ancient ninja tradition dealing with modern-day warfare. According to producer Terrence Chang, it is inspired by real-world events. "The game concept is actually based on facts that the Yakuza and the Russian mob are involved in tons of gold being stolen in South Africa," he explained.

"The idea actually started with John Woo," said Spector. "He wanted to do something involving traditional ninjas in a modern-day setting, and the idea just resonated with me. I was intrigued with the idea of what happens when the traditional and the contemporary come into conflict."

While the Ninja Gold film and game are the being developed separately--for example, Woo's film will be somewhat more grounded in reality than Spector's game--they were intended as companion pieces from the beginning. "My thought from the start was to develop something that would work just as well in games as in movies, and I know John was thinking along the same lines," continued Spector. "This was an attempt to create a concept that would work in, and be developed for, a variety of media simultaneously. That's something new for games--and for movies."

Woo plans to put the Ninja Gold film into production next year, pending the creation of a script. No timeframe for the development or release of the game has been given.

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