PLAY-ACTION: This one's going to have all the producers of the other video-game movies watching closely as it's being tweaked as you read this. It stars Freddie Prinze Jr., Matthew Lillard, Saffron Burrows and David Warner. [Wing] Commander is the story of a future war between Earth's Terran Confederation and a nasty race of cat-like creatures called the Kilrathi who want to terminate our existence. Pilots from the Confederation discover that the Kilrathi have built an enormous vessel (can you say Death Star?) capable of annihilating all life in a star system. The future rests in the hands of the Confederation pilots who must destroy the vessel before it reaches populated areas. Groundbreaking filmed segments (Malcom McDowell stars in the game version) with fun and interactivity made this shoot-em-up game a real hit.STATUS: A done deal. Slated to be released in early 1999 by 20th Century Fox.CHANCES OF BIG SCREEN SUCCESS?Touch and go. The budget was only $27 million which doesn't get you much in terms of special effects these days. However, rave reviews have been reported from those who've seen early footage of the film.
