Francis Ford Coppola Announces Apocalypse Now: The Game

Apocalypse Now, Francis Ford Coppola's surreal Vietnam drama, isn't exactly a fun movie (just filming it was enough to drive Martin Sheen insane), but if you've ever dreamed of fighting through the jungle in search of an overweight Marlon Brando, now's your chance. Coppola and his production company, American Zoetrope, are joining forces with a team of veteran game developers to bring Apocalypse Now: The Game to unspecified platforms.

In a recorded statement, the veteran director says, "I've been watching videogames grow into a meaningful way to tell stories, and I'm excited to explore the possibilities for Apocalypse Now for a new platform and a new generation." Apocalypse Now: The Game will loosely adapt the film's storyline, following Captain Benjamin Willard (Sheen) as he hunts and kills a rogue American officer, Colonel Walter Kurtz (Brando). However, the game's official Kickstarter page claims that choices made during gameplay will affect the story, and that "each player molds a unique version of Willard" as they progress.

Visually, Apocalypse Now: The Game borrows from Coppola's classic film, while the gameplay itself will blend role-playing mechanics with stealth-based shooting and survival horror. "You will quickly learn that the gun-blazing solo war machine of other shooters would not have lasted long in the real Vietnam," the official page says. "Instead you will find rewards for proceeding cautiously and managing limited resources with care."

Instead of going through a normal publisher, Coppola and his team are using Kickstarter as a funding platform. As the Kickstarter page explains, "We want your help because the traditional game publisher system won't let this happen." American Zoetrope is asking for $1 million to complete Apocalypse Now, with a number of stretch goals already announced. If funded, Apocalypse Now: The Game will target an October, 2020 release.