There have been a great number of film adaptations we’ve reported on lately, ranging from a project based on the View-Master toy, to one about Sega’s “Shinobi” game series. Keeping in line with video game adaptations, now Apple is jumping in with a project that fittingly enough, was often played on their Apple II computers. That game of course, is the legendary edutainment product, “Oregon Trail.”
If you’re of a certain age, you may remember a time when the Apple II computer was the height of technology in your school and a floppy disc was actually floppy. Those were the days where you could play a simulation, resource management game about travelling along the Oregon Trail. The object was pretty simple; don’t die. With limited money to start, you had to buy food, ammo, supplies, oxen, and start to head out west with your party of four others. Will you make it? Will you die of dysentery? Will you all starve to death? The answer was probably one of the latter two but it would still be fun trying. Perfect elements for an action-comedy movie, right?
It’s often said that comedy equals tragedy plus time. Since the Oregon Trail migration took place largely in the early 1800’s, now’s a good time to look back and laugh at misfortune. In a way, you could argue that this film was already made, but it was called, “National Lampoon’s Vacation.” But seriously, this upcoming project, adapting “The Oregon Trail” game has some fantastic talent behind the scenes. The script is being worked on by The Lucas Bros. who previously wrote “Judas and the Black Messiah.”
Meanwhile, Will Speck and Josh Gordon will write and produce the film. Their previous efforts include, “Office Chrimstas Party” and “Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile.”
There is very little to know about the substance of the film right now except that it’s set to feature original music numbers with the comparison being made to “Barbie.” This makes all the more sense with Benj Pasek and Justin Paul providing the music. The two of them had previously worked with Speck and Gordon on the aforementioned “Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile.” The songwriting duo also worked on “La La Land” and “Dear Evan Hansen” all of which to say, there’s a legitimate chance they could do something pretty great with this Oregon trail project.
We’ll bring you more information when it becomes available but for now this is one of those game to film adaptation where we’re willing to say this could turn out well. That is, if none of the oxen die, the meat goes bad, and we don’t lose the young un’s to a case of consumption.
