Just Cause movie adaptation in development with Blue Beetle director attached

Legendary secret agent Rico Rodriguez is heading to the big screen, courtesy of Universal Pictures. As announced by The Hollywood Reporter, a Just Cause movie is in development, with Blue Beetle director Ángel Manuel Soto confirmed to direct. Why? Just ’cause, I guess.

In addition to Soto as director, Kelly McCormick and David Leitch will be producing the film via their 87North company. Dmitri M. Johnson, Mike Goldberg and Timothy I. Stevenson of Story Kitchen are also attached in producing roles. No cast members have been announced so far, which means it is yet to be confirmed who will be playing Rico Rodriguez in live action. A Just Cause film has been in various stages of production limbo for a long time, with Jason Momoa at one point cast as Rico back in 2017 and Brad Peyton was to serve as director. With a new studio and director attached to this project, it seems likely that a different actor will land the lead role.

The Just Cause franchise, developed by Avalanche Studios, features legendary secret agent Rico Rodriguez dropped into various unstable dictatorships as he dismantles them with over-the-top stunts and violence, armed with his signature grappling hook and endless supply of parachutes. The games are characterised by wide open settings and substantial amount of freedom regarding the degree to which Rico can make everything explode in spectacular fashions. The most recent entry in the series was Just Cause 4, which released back in 2018.

A cheesy action concept like that seems like an easy fit for a movie adaptation. However, the extent to which the Just Cause franchise already homages similar over-the-top spy films like the Mission: Impossible and 007 movies may make it feel somewhat derivative if you take the gameplay out of the experience. The Hollywood Reporter’s article notes that “Universal jumped at the chance for the adaptation, as the studio sees the title as part of the rising wave of video game adaptations that seem to be supplanting the superhero genre at the box office“. Considering that Universal has already had some solid hits in the form of Five Nights at Freddy’s and The Super Mario Bros. Movie, it has had some strong success in this department so far.

We will have to await more details as the Just Cause movie adaptation progresses.