French independent film group MK2 has joined forces with animation studio Onyx Films to form a videogame publishing joint venture, according to THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. The 50-50 venture, MKO Games, will develop and publish high-end, cross-platform games for PC, consoles and mobile devices.
"The idea is to bring together the movie industry and the game industry in France, which have until now just been eyeing each other up," said Nathanael Karmitz, who recently took over MK2 from his father and company founder Marin Karmitz.
MK2s businesses include French theater circuit, film productions, a large catalog of mainly art house and classic titles and established video and music publishing operations.
"There won't be an Olivier Assayas videogame," Nathanael Karmitz said, referring to the French auteur who is helming BOARDING GATE, starring Asia Argento as a prostitute in the world of high finance, for MK2.
Onyx is best known for its 3D TV series SKYLAND, which has sold to more than 80 countries including the U.S. Onyx's recent production credits include the noir young-adult animation RENAISSANCE, which Miramax will release in September the U.S.
MKO Games' first game will be based on the movie version of SKYLAND, which goes into production in October. Both the $30 million-budgeted film and the game are set for release in 2008.
After that Onyx will make LA NUIT DES ENFANTS ROI (NIGHT OF THE KING CHILDREN), based on the best-selling French manga strip by Lernteric. The $30 million movie will be co-produced by Fidelite Prods., the Paris-based producer's first venture into animation.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
