Michael Bay to Direct Sydney Sweeney-Produced ‘OutRun’ Video Game Movie

Michael Bay is set to direct and produce an upcoming film for Universal based on Sega’s hit 1986 arcade driving game “OutRun,” with Sydney Sweeney also attached to produce.

Bay, who last directed the action thriller “Ambulance” for Universal, will produce alongside Brad Fuller through their production company Platinum Dunes as part of a first-look deal with Universal. Plot details are being kept under wraps for the film, which will be written by Jayson Rothwell (“Arachnid”).

Toru Nakahara, who was a producer for Sega on Paramount’s “Sonic the Hedgehog” films, will also produce alongside Sweeney and Bay. Sega President/COO Shuji Utsumi will oversee the project on behalf of the company.

Released in arcades in November 1986, “OutRun” became the highest grossing arcade cabinet in the U.S. and Japan the following year. It was praised for pushing the boundaries of driving video games with its efforts to replicate the skills required of actual race car driving, becoming a precursor for later driving game franchises like “Ridge Racer,” “Gran Turismo” and “Forza Motorsport.” But the series has been dormant for the past 15 years, with its last installment being “OutRun Online Arcade” for the Xbox 360 in 2009.

“OutRun” becomes the latest video game franchise swept up in Hollywood’s bid for new IP. Universal has been at the forefront of the video game boom thanks to the record setting $1.4 billion success of “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” which has a sequel out next year, and the low budget success of Blumhouse’s “Five Nights at Freddy’s,” which also gets a sequel this December.

Bay is represented by Rich Cook at Range Media Partners. Sweeney is represented by Paradigm, imPRint and Stewart Brookman at Hansen, Jacobson, Teller, Hoberman, etc. Rothwell is represented by Cliff Roberts at Syndicate Entertainment, and Austin Williams at Sloan Offer Weber & Dern.

Universal’s Executive Vice President of Production Development Matt Reilly and Senior Vice President of Production Development Ryan Jones will oversee the project for the Studio.

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