PIXELS Invade The Movies

Video games have always been a big part of my childhood. My father was  the cool dad who owned consoles before it was generally accepted as a household item. I think we were the first family in our whole subdivision to own a Playstation. Because of my Dad's hobby of buying video games, my cousins would often spend summers at our place, playing until the early morning. 

Which is why I really loved "Wreck It Ralph" when it came out, it was a story about the video games that we loved to play. Now Chris Columbus' "PIXELS" will take the video game theme on a new spin with a comedic take on what happens when aliens invade the Earth through 80's classic video games and our only hope is a team of has-been Arcade champions. 

Not only does the unique plot and hilarious comedy of Columbia Pictures’ “Pixels” distinguish it from the crowd, but the film also looks different from other summer films. “Most visual effects movies – including movies I’ve been involved with – set out to create extraordinarily realistic visual effects,” director Chris Columbus explains.

“On Pixels, we were aiming for something you’ve never seen before. When these videogame characters come to life, they take on this pixelated form with an aura lit from within, and constantly moving. It’s literally a three-dimensional version of the 8-bit games you used to see on your arcade screen.”

The list of the film’s pixelated co-stars reads like an all-star team of the 1980s: PAC-MAN™, Donkey Kong™, Centipede®, Galaga™, Frogger, Q*bert™, and Space Invaders™, among many others.

“These classic characters were part of the DNA of the project, so it was critical that we work together to bring them on board,” explains Allen Covert, one of the film’s producers. “Fortunately, they were all extremely receptive. We approached them with a deep love for their characters and a respect for the elements that make them unique and iconic, and we worked with the companies to incorporate those elements into the film.”

Partners included Atari Interactive, Inc. (Asteroids, Breakout, Centipede, Missile Command); Konami Digital Entertainment (Frogger); Bandai Namco Entertainment (PAC-MAN, Galaga, Dig Dug); Nintendo (Donkey Kong, Duck Hunt); Sony Computer Entertainment (Q*Bert); TAITO CORPORATION (Arkanoid, Space Invaders); and Warner Bros. Interactive (Paperboy, Joust, Defender, Robotron), G-MODE (BurgerTime), and TETRIS (Tetris).

PIXELS also stars Adam Sandler (who also produces the film), Kevin James, Josh Gad (Olaf from Frozen), Peter Dinklage (Tyrion Lannister from Game Of Thrones) and Michelle Monaghan. 

Opening across the Philippines in August 26, “Pixels” is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International.