Grant Morrison Explains Area 51

Grant Morrison has shed some light on what we may expect from an Area 51 movie. We get the following skinny from the dudes at MTV:

“It’s a new take on the mythology,” Morrison promised.

Morrison’s version is an adaptation of the Midway video game, in which a viral outbreak shuts down a research facility, the scientific and military personnel are locked inside under quarantine, and a small special forces unit led by the hazardous materials division investigates. In the game, the main character from HAZMAT discovers that the mutated virus controls the minds of those infected, as well as an ancient alien colony buried beneath the facility, and he has to solve several mysteries and uncover many conspiracies — including men in black to the Illuminati — to prevent the virus from being released and mutating life on Earth.

When I played Area 51, I just thought the game was about shooting aliens in the face. I didn’t quite glean the message from it that Morrison has divulged unto us. Then again, I sucked at that game – perhaps the story unravelled to reveal all of this in later boards.

I’m not sure what new take Morrison plans for the mythology; as long as he has aliens and guns I’m guessing they’ll let him do whatever he wants with the story. Video game adaptations are still looking for a working formula, so taking risks and experimenting is probably the right thing to do. When this film hits the shelves, I think a copy of the Area 51 game should be included, that would be bitchin’.