Eidos believes Kane & Lynch has the potential to be one of its biggest game franchises ever, and is investing heavily in it as a result.
The advertising budget for Kane & Lynch: Dead Men is already greater than that of any Tomb Raider release, and Lionsgate Studios has picked up the movie rights. Speaking to MCV, Jane Cavanagh, Chief Executive Officer at Eidos parent company SCi, said, “We believe it has the potential to be a franchise for adults that is respected and loved in the same way as Hitman. The marketing spend reflects our confidence both in the title and the franchise, which has already been optioned for a Kane & Lynch movie by Lionsgate.”
Somewhat surprisingly, Cavanagh also revealed that a sequel to the game, which is still almost two months away from release, is already in the works. “We’ve already got Kane & Lynch 2 in production,” she said, “which just goes to show the belief we have in it as a long-term franchise.”
Kane & Lynch: Dead Men is being developed by IO Interactive, the studio responsible for the Hitman series of games. “Kane & Lynch is due to be released at the same time as the Hitman movie,” added Phil Rogers, CFO at SCi, “and we will be taking full advantage of the cross-marketing potential that the title has.”
Kane & Lynch: Dead Men, the blood-soaked tale of a murderous mercenary and his medicated psychotic companion, hits the shelves on November 23.
