Big screen version of Max Payne planned

More than four years after developer Remedy first announced that videogame character Max Payne was to get an outing on the big screen, Twentieth Century Fox has confirmed that the project is well underway.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, the Max Payne movie is being developed in co-operation with Collision Entertainment and Firm Films.

There's no word on who's set to star or who will direct, but it's said to be a Dirty Harry-style film with a storyline focussing on Max Payne's history and origins.

"I think this is a real actor's part because although the story will have action and intrigue, at its core it's a story about a man who loses everything in life that's dear to him," said co-producer Scott Faye.

He also believes it should be easy to adapt the game for the screen: "Unlike a novel, video games by nature leave gaps in the story, which allows filmmakers an opportunity to flesh out the story and fill those holes in a meaningful way."

Max Payne is the second videogame adaptation to be announced by 20th Century Fox in recent weeks, following the studio's earlier revelation that Vin Diesel will play Agent 47 in the forthcoming Hitman film.

It's not yet known whether the film will be a tie-in with a third instalment in the Max Payne videogame series, currently rumoured to be in development by Take-Two.