Comic book writer Grant Morrison will pen the adaptation of Area 51, based on the videogame franchise, according to Variety.
Set in the U.S. government’s most top-secret military facility, the storyline revolves around a hazardous materials specialist who is called in to investigate a viral outbreak that could be extra-terrestrial in nature.
Paramount Pictures picked up the film rights to Area 51 from Midway Games in 2004. The game was released in April 2005 and a spinoff videogame, Blacksite: Area 51, will be released by Midway this summer.
The best-selling comics author Morrison is most known for his Batman graphic novel Arkham Asylum, which has sold over 500,000 copies worldwide. He’s also written for DC series Justice League of America, Doom Patrol, and Animal Man as well as New X-Men and Fantastic Four for Marvel.
Morrison’s most recent screenplay, WE3, based on his comic book of the same name, is being developed at New Line.
