A man who is exceptionally good at video games finds himself thrust into the front lines of a real life battle against space aliens when it is revealed that the game he's been playing were actually an elaborate training and recruiting ploy.
Sci-fi movie aficionados will immediately recognize this as the plot for the 1984 movie, “The Last Starfighter,” but they'd be wrong. It's actually the premise for a new pilot that Hulu has ordered, which will star “The Hunger Games” actor Josh Hutcherson.
The half-hour pilot is described as a comedy that will revolve around Hutcherson's character, Josh Futterman, a janitor who is also a pro gamer. He is recruited by time travelers from the future who see his talent in video games as a natural skill that could help them protect Earth from an alien invasion.
Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg are set to produce the show. Kyle Hunter and Ariel Shaffir will write "Future Man," while Matt Tolmach has been announced as the executive producer.
While “The Last Starfigther” has gained a cult following in the decades after its original release to the big screen, many have called it an under-appreciated film that was years ahead of it's time, both in story and in technology. Reportedly, it was one of the first films to have entire sequences completely computer-generated.
Previously, talks of a sequel or even a reboot that would employ virtual reality have been buzzing around, but have not yet quite come to fruition.
This pilot for Hulu could be the chance for fans of “The Last Starfighter” to finally see a reboot of the film come back to the screen in a modern setting – even if it is going to be packaged under a different name.
