Warcraft director Duncan Jones is asking fans and followers for a favor: He'd like everyone to drop Walt Disney Studios a line to let them know that he really wants to make a movie based on the classic LucasArts adventure game Full Throttle.
Originally released in 1995, Full Throttle follows the adventures of Ben Throttle, the leader of a biker gang called the Polecats, who's accused of a murder he didn't commit as part of a plot to overthrow the rightful owners of Corley Motors, the last domestic motorcycle manufacturer in the US. It was designed and written by Tim Schafer, with contributions from Schafer's LucasArts partner Dave Grossman, and it's widely considered to be among LucasArts' best: We took a look back on its 25th anniversary and found that, with the help of a 2017 remaster, the tough-guy biker adventure "still kicks ass."
Jones is clearly a fan too. "If you could all tell DisneyStudios how much you’d love them to let me make Full Throttle for Disney+, that would be adorable and I’d be very appreciative," he tweeted over the weekend.
If you could all tell @DisneyStudios how much you’d love them to let me make Full Throttle for @Disney+, that would be adorable and I’d be very appreciative.💪🏼❤️👍🏼January 9, 2022
Jones knows a thing or two about videogames. He's best known among gamers as the director of the 2016 Warcraft film, and while that didn't work out quite as well as everyone hoped, he's clearly a fan of the source material, and has even expressed interest in doing another one, despite not having a great experience on the first. He's also got a Rogue Trooper film in the works.
And lest there be any doubt about his commitment to the Full Throttle project, Jones actually produced a full first-draft script for the film in 2020, which you can read in full here. It follows the same plot as the game and retains much of the original dialog. An excerpt:
- Ben looks around the corner and is shocked to see Corley, bleeding to death on the ground. He rushes over to him.
MALCOM CORLEY
Ben!
(*Coughs*)
I guess Ripburger couldn't wait for natural causes. Just like him to hit a man when his fly is down, heh heh.
(*Coughs* )
BEN THROTTLE
Ripburger did this to you?
MALCOM CORLEY
Yeah, he knew I was dyin'... and he knew that my will would put him out of a job.
(*Grasps Ben's jacket*)
He wants to take over Corley Motors, Ben. Sell off the farms, lay off workers. Start makin' minivans! You understand me?! Minivans!!
(*Groans and coughs*)
You've got to hurt him for me, Ben. Promise me! You'll hurt him bad!
BEN THROTTLE
I promise.
MALCOM CORLEY
(*Coughs* )
I want my daughter to take over the company.
BEN THROTTLE
You have a daughter?
MALCOM CORLEY
Yeah! She's a real mechanical genius, Ben! Rebuilt her first carburetor when she was four! My Diapered Dynamo...
(*Coughs*)
Find my daughter, Ben! Find Maureen!
-Malcom's eyes roll back and he dies.
[Can a man be stoic and stunned? It would appear so.]
BEN THROTTLE
(stoically stunned)
Maureen?
It's all just fun and games at this point—Jones might be bored after another year of Covid-19, or perhaps struggling with another spot of writer's block—but he's clearly serious enough to make some strategically-directed noise about it, and I think it'd be a blast if it actually happened. And relatively simple, as these things go: The story is already done, Jones gives the project legitimacy, and Schafer seems game:
I did wish hard for this year to be better than last year, but did not expect @ManMadeMoon to spontaneously bang out a complete script for a Full Throttle movie! https://t.co/KrCZZRPj86January 12, 2021
So what's left? Film rights shouldn't be an issue thanks to the multi-billion-dollar deal Disney pulled in 2012 to acquire LucasFilm, so all that's really needed is a cast—and in particular, a Ben. I've put some thought into this, as one does when one is paid to write about videogames, and I think Tom Hardy would be a great choice if the budget will allow for it. Chris Livingston suggested Idris Elba, who would also be great, although I'm not sure about the accent; on the lower-budget side I thought Frank Grillo would be a good choice, but then Chris brought up Jeffrey Dean Morgan and I have to admit that's probably a better pick. But what about Karl Urban? I forgot about Karl, and suddenly now I'm thinking he might be the best man for the job.
Okay, I thought I had this nailed down, but clearly I do not. Whoever ends up in the role, though, I'm in: If Jones can make this movie happen, I will definitely be watching.
For those who haven't seen it before (or would like to enjoy it again), here's the full intro from Full Throttle Remastered, complete with one of my favorite videogame theme songs of all time:
