Electronic Arts has announced that it has secured the exclusive worldwide rights for author Robert Ludlum’s work, including the popular Jason Bourne series.
The first Bourne title to come from this multi-year agreement will be a Bourne game developed by Starbreeze Studios, the folks responsible for first-person/third-person affairs Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay and The Darkness. This seems to fly in the face of previous rumors that claimed the “secret project” (dubbed “Project RedLime”) Starbreeze was working on for EA was a remake of their dormant franchise, Syndicate.
While Bourne is probably the most popular of Ludlum’s novels — due in no small part to the success of the film’s starring Matt Damon — the deal grants EA rights to his full body of work. Conspiracy theories and terrorism themes abound, could EA have found its Tom Clancy?
LUDLUM ENTERTAINMENT GRANTS EA THE EXCLUSIVE VIDEO GAME LICENSE FOR THE WORKS OF ROBERT LUDLUM
EA and Starbreeze Studios Working on All-New Jason Bourne TitleGuildford, UK – February 2, 2009 – Ludlum Entertainment has granted Electronic Arts, Inc (NASDAQ: ERTS) the exclusive worldwide license to create video games based on the works of Robert Ludlum, including the blockbuster Jason Bourne series. The first game to be released as part of the multi-year agreement is based on Jason Bourne and is currently in development with Starbreeze Studios in Uppsala, Sweden.
“Robert Ludlum’s Jason Bourne is the most exciting action hero to emerge in decades, thrilling audiences around the world,” said Mike Quigley, group vice president of marketing, EA Games Label. “EA is excited to enter into a long-term relationship with Ludlum Entertainment, bringing the action, intrigue and intensity of Robert Ludlum’s fiction to life for casual and core gamers around the globe.”
“The continued global popularity of Robert Ludlum’s works is a testament to the care he lavished on his characters and storylines,” said Jeffrey Weiner, chairman and CEO of Ludlum Entertainment and executor of the Ludlum estate. “Robert Ludlum made thrilling stories accessible and real. EA has brought that same level of realism to the gaming world. We are confident EA‘s unparalleled production ability and marketing reach will establish the Jason Bourne Series in games as powerfully and successfully as it exists in books and film.”
Ludlum Entertainment recently entered into a production deal with Universal Studios to produce films based on the dozens of books in the Robert Ludlum library, as well as films outside the library. The company currently has films in development at Universal, MGM, Paramount and with Summit Entertainment.
Video game veteran Matt Wolf will work with EA to oversee the creative development, production and positioning of the Ludlum Entertainment games portfolio. Ludlum entertainment was represented in the transaction by Keith Boesky of Boesky & Company.
