Heavenly Sword

Heavenly Sword may be deader than one of Nariko’s unfortunate antagonists, but that’s not stopping Blockade Entertainment from wrapping up production on a cinematic spin-off due for release in June 2014. Starring original voice actress and Fringe star Anna Torv, the direct-to-video flick largely follows the plot of the PlayStation 3 exclusive, but augments a few deviations along the way.

Andy Serkis is sadly out, but he has been replaced by Spider-Man 2 star Alfred Molina, who plays the character of King Bohan. Meanwhile, Thomas Jane, the lead in Marvel’s dismal The Punisher movie, has been roped in to feature as Loki, a new character in the animated film. Voice acting veterans Nolan North and Barry Dennen will also appear.

According to an interview with producer Brad Foxhoven, the picture actually paved the way for the impending Ratchet & Clank Movie. “Quite simply, the quality of the Heavenly Sword film impressed more than a few people,” he told IGN. “Sony was aware of the challenges that we were facing during the production, and was very supportive throughout. They allowed us to create a test reel with Ratchet & Clank, and with it we gained the ability to make that film as well.”

While this clearly bears the hallmarks of its budget, the company has been given a lot more cash to work on its silver screen conversion of Insomniac Games’ platforming property, which is set to get a run in theatres. Still, it’s nice to see Nariko and crew back in the spotlight, even if we don’t expect this movie to be strong enough to reignite interest in the Heavenly Sword franchise as a whole.

[source heavenlyswordmovie.com, via uk.ign.com]