Midway taps its Happy Feet

Warner Bros. and Midway have signed a publishing deal to develop a game based on Happy Feet, a family film about a tap-dancing penguin who can't sing. Games will appear on console, handheld and PC platforms.

Midway sees the deal as a way to help build it a reputation as a provider of family entertainment as well as more adult themed titles like the drug-drenched NARC and psychological action thriller The Suffering.

President and CEO David F. Zucker said the license would "attract younger gamers and serve as one of the anchors in our new line of family friendly games".

The film, due out in November 2006, is a comedy adventure written and directed by George Miller, whose credentials in this area include the Babe movies (assuming his Mad Max trilogy won't be influencing Happy Feet, anyway).

Set in Antarctica, it follows a group of Emperor Penguins who must each sing a unique song to attract a soul mate, and focuses on the plight of Mumble (Elijah Wood), who, despite being the offspring of Elvis (Hugh Jackman) and Norma Jean (Nicole Kidman), can't sing to save his life, but is apparently one of the best tap-dancers in the world.

Other voice actors involved in the film include Brittany Murphy, Hugo Weaving and Robin Williams, and it also features the tap-dancing of Savion Glover. It's not clear whether the game will draw on the talents of the varied cast - or varied talents of the cast, depending on your point of view.