Gearbox confirms a Duke Nukem film is on the way

Following some major successes, it seems as though the floodgates have been opened wide when it comes to the number of film and tv adaptations in the works based on original video game IPs. One rumoured project was claimed to be a Duke Nukem film, said to be in the works at Gearbox – though we now have official confirmation of its existence.

Last year The Hollywood Reporter claimed that a film based on the Duke Nukem franchise was in the works, though at the time IP owner Gearbox offered no comments on the matter. It is therefore interesting to see that the film has since been announced in a rather uneventful manner, writing as part of a recent studio acquisition press release:

“Gearbox Publishing was established in 2016 with the goal of helping developers around the world bring their products to market while retaining their unique creative visions. Gearbox Studios was formed in 2022 creates cutting-edge transmedia opportunities, including the upcoming movies and series based on Borderlands, Duke Nukem, and Brothers in Arms. Gearbox Properties was founded in 2022 to manage Gearbox's wide variety of intellectual property across all products, mediums, and merchandise categories.”

This seems to be the first official acknowledgement of the film’s existence, and as such, it’ll be curious to see whether this was intentional or if the press release simply jumped the gun in that regard.

Either way, Duke Nukem very much feels like a product of its time and so hopefully Gearbox plans to take the character and world in an interesting direction. We will have to wait and see.

KitGuru says: What do you think of Duke Nukem? Would you watch a film based on it? What direction should they take the project? Let us know down below.

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