#Just Cause Video Game Movie Gets Stuber Director Michael Dowse

The Just Cause movie has just taken a major step forward. Michael Dowse (Stuber) has been tapped to helm the video game adaptation for Constantin Film. The studio has partnered with Prime Universe Films on the project, with the goal of launching a “global action franchise.” Ambitious as that may sound, the video games have proved to be quite popular, so there is reason to think it could work as a movie series. Especially with the team in place.

According to several reports, Michael Dowse has signed on to direct Just Cause. Dowse will be working from a screenplay penned by Derek Kolstad, best known for his work on the John Wick trilogy. Kolstad boarded the project in May 2019. Some of his other credits include Marvel’s upcoming series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, as well as Kevin Hart’s Quibi series Die Hart. As for Dowse, he directed last year’s action/comedy Stuber. Most recently he helmed Coffee & Kareem for Netflix, which debuted earlier this year. Dowse has also directed TV shows such as The Foundation, Man Seeking Woman and Future Man.

Specific plot details are being kept under wraps but the movie will use the video games as a template. It will see Rico Rodriguez is on a time-sensitive mission to stop a lethal mercenary group known as The Black Hand. The video games themselves are named for the U.S. invasion of Panama, which was code-named “Operation Just Cause.” Rodriguez, it’s worth noting, has become one of few prominent Latino video game characters.

Just Cause made its debut in 2006 on the PlayStation 2, Xbox and PC. The game proved to be a hit, paving the way for a series of sequels that were produced in the years that followed. The most recent entry, Just Cause 4, hit shelves in 2018. To date, the series has sold approximately 15 million copies worldwide.

At one point, Aquaman star Jason Momoa had been attached in the lead role. The most recent reports make no mention of him, so he may have moved on. Momoa has become rather busy in the past few years, with his Apple TV series See, in addition to his continued work as Arthur Curry in the DCUE. Plus, he was just cast as Frosty the Snowman. Momoa is also set to appear in Dune later this year.

Video game movies were once a major challenge for Hollywood (and once could argue they still are). But recent efforts such as Detective Pikachu and Sonic the Hedgehog have helped to break the stigma a bit. Plus, with every studio in need of franchises, video games are potentially fertile ground. If the code can be cracked, it is a largely untapped resource. There is no word yet on when production could begin, nor has a release date been set. We’ll be sure to keep you posted as any further details are made available. This news was previously reported by The Wrap.

Topics: Just Cause, Video Games