The classic video game Tetris is getting the Hollywood treatment and being turned into a movie with an $80 million budget.
Larry Kasanoff, producer of such films as "True Lies" and "Lego: The Adventures of Clutch Powers," has teamed up with Chinese producer Bruno Wu to create a joint venture called Threshold Global Studios to develop and finance the film.
The producers plan to film in China in 2017 and feature a Chinese cast.
Threshold has been working with The Tetris Company for over a year on developing the idea. The story has been created and Wu and Kasanoff will co-produce.
"Today there are so many great sources on which to build a movie blockbuster and video gaming is certainly an amazing category with its huge international following, so to have this legacy brand, Tetris, is a great, first project for us with Larry, who knows his way around this landscape," Wu said in a statement Tuesday.
Threshold's Jimmy Ienner is executive producing while Dane Smith, who was worked on films including "Transformers" and "Spiderman," will be responsible for special effects.
Kasanoff has previously worked on video-game-to-movie adaptation of "Mortal Kombat." Tetris, which became popular when it was released on Nintendo's Gameboy in 1989, is the latest game to be turned into a movie.
Popular mobile game "Angry Birds" was recently released in film form, and films such as "Pixels" play on iconic characters. Movies are often seen as another way to monetize popular intellectual property for video game makers.
Earlier this week, Japanese gaming giant Nintendo said that some of its most popular characters may be seen on the big screen in the next few years.