'Dead Island' movie in the works

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SANTA MONICA, Calif., Sept. 27 (UPI) -- U.S. movie maker Lionsgate says it is working on a big-screen version of the zombie video game "Dead Island."

Lionsgate optioned the film rights to the game from its publisher, Deep Silver, and is now developing the property as a movie, it was announced Tuesday by Lionsgate Co-Chief Operating Officer and Motion Picture Group President Joe Drake.

"'Dead Island' is a global brand first introduced through a teaser trailer that told the story of a family on vacation at a tropical resort who is besieged by zombies. Told in a stark, non-linear fashion, the wrenching trailer captured worldwide fan attention and unanimous critical praise upon its debut, receiving over 1 million hits in its first 24 hours online, and nearly 10 million views by two days after its debut," Lionsgate noted in a release. "The trailer went on to win the Golden Lion in Cannes at the International Festival of Creativity, the advertising industry's highest honor, and it was featured by Adweek on their annual list of the World's Best Commercials."

The video game "Dead Island" was published by Deep Silver for Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and PC. It was released in the United States Sept. 6 and was the No. 1-selling game both in the United States and the United Kingdom. The game has sold more than 2 million units to date.

"Like the hundreds of journalists and millions of fans who were so passionate and vocal about the 'Dead Island' trailer, we too were awestruck," Drake said in a statement Tuesday. "This is exactly the type of property we're looking to adapt at Lionsgate -- it's sophisticated, edgy and a true elevation of a genre that we know and love. It also has built in brand recognition around the world, and franchise potential."