Adrian Askarieh has spoken about his dream of a Square Enix shared universe.
Askarieh, who is also producing the upcoming Just Cause film adaptation, commented on how he would want to flesh out his own shared universe built on Square Enix properties.
In an interview with IGN, Askarieh says, “If everything was entirely up to me, it would be Just Cause, Hitman, and Lara Croft in the same universe, and Deus Ex would be the future of that universe and Thief would be the past. Unfortunately, I don’t have Lara Croft, and Hitman needs to be a big hit for that to happen. But I think Just Cause can be in the Hitman Universe or it can be on its own.”
Despite how crazy that sounds, Askarieh idea for a shared universe is much more diverse and different compared to the Monsters shared universe from Universal and cinematic universes surrounding existing comic book properties.
However, the producer did state that Hitman: Agent 47 has to be a hit for this shared universe to happen. Currently, it is sitting at an abysmal 7% on Rotten Tomatoes and has a Metacritic rating of 28%. Critically, it is not a hit, but the financial side is an entirely different story, as the film has made $63.2 million against a budget of $35. The film could earn more money overseas and warrant a sequel or birth of a Square Enix shared universe.
The producer does not own the film rights to Tomb Raider, which is the most financially successful of all the franchises. It would be interesting, to say the least, to see how all of the films are connected. They could remain unconnected as well, with each film simply labeled “A Square Enix Story.”
How do you think a cinematic universe built around Square Enix characters could be connected? Let us know!
