EA partners with Starz Media for Dead Space movie

Electronic Arts and Starz Media have announced that they are collaborating on the development of an animated movie prequel to the upcoming Dead Space sci-fi survival horror game.

The companies also have animation projects in development for two other as-yet-unnamed EA franchises.

"We are really excited to be working with Film Roman to create an animated feature that will tell the portion of the Dead Space saga between the comic and game," said the game's executive producer Glen Schofield.

"With the video game, comic book and now animated movie, Dead Space has become a true multimedia brand. Each of these elements delivers the story to new audiences and tells it from different aspects and perspectives."

The animated film picks up the plot where the original comic book series ends and before the new game begins and is currently scheduled to premiere at the same time that the game is launched - Halloween 2008.

Starz Media is currently in discussions with broadcasters worldwide that have already expressed interest in airing Dead Space, which is scheduled to be released via broadcast TV and then on DVD.

"Due to the richness and complexity of stories that have evolved for video games, they have become a type of entertainment that can span generations and provide fantastic inspiration for other forms of media; especially in the realm of animated features," said Film Roman president and COO Scott Greenberg said.

"We're particularly thrilled to be starting off with Dead Space."