Hypermasculine cheesy quote-generator Duke Nukem is officially making the jump to live-action as a feature film is now in development with Cobra Kai creators at the helm.
Despite being an iconic video game character through the 90s, for better or worse, the Duke Nukem name has largely been left alone in recent years. Beyond the infamously troubled Duke Nukem Forever, a game that finally hit store shelves in 2011, 13 years after its reveal, the franchise has remained dormant.
No new games are on the horizon for the king of cringe, but that’s not to say Duke is dead. Quite the opposite, in fact, as a feature film focusing on the braggadocious character is now in the works. That’s right, a Duke Nukem movie is officially on the way, with some big names bringing it to life.
Film rights have been acquired by Legendary Entertainment, as first confirmed by The Hollywood Reporter. The production company behind blockbuster hits like The Dark Knight trilogy, Dune, and many others, is now tackling a live-action adaptation of Duke Nukem.
The trios of Cobra Kai creators, Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg are all on board to produce, alongside Jean-Julien Baronnet who helped produce 2016’s Assassin’s Creed film.
Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates on Esports, Gaming and more.
Further details remain under wraps at this point in time. As for who will direct, who will star as Duke himself, and what the plot will entail, it all remains up in the air at this stage.
Previously, there were rumblings of WWE-turned-Hollywood star John Cena stepping into the king’s shoes for an earlier adaptation, however, those plans fizzled out. While the door could still be open for Cena to return to the role, nothing is yet locked in.
With the Duke Nukem movie now off the ground, it comes amid a more dedicated effort from Gearbox to adapt its most popular IP. Later this year, the star-studded Borderlands movie is finally expected to release, more than two years since principal photography wrapped.