{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Metro.co.uk","duration":"T2M46S","thumbnailUrl":"https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/02/16/16/67763259-0-image-a-31_1676563953787.jpg","uploadDate":"2023-02-16T16:11:58+0000","description":"Taron Egerton stars in a new Apple Original Film inspired by the true story of how one man risked his life to outsmart the KGB and turn iconic video game Tetris into a worldwide sensation.","contentUrl":"https://videos.metro.co.uk/video/met/2023/02/16/6541239916480972553/480x270_MP4_6541239916480972553.mp4","height":270,"width":480}



To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web
browser that
supports HTML5
video






Taron Egerton and Toby Jones star in a movie that tells the story of how Nintendo fought with Robert Maxwell for the rights to Tetris.



It doesn’t star Robert De Niro as L-shaped block but there is an actual real Tetris movie now in production and it actually looks like it could be quite good.



It’s out in March, so we’re not sure why nobody’s ever mentioned its existence up till now, but rather than featuring talking tetrominoes, or any other such nonsense, it tells the story of how Nintendo got the rights to Tetris (which is a launch game for the PlayStation VR2 ) on the Game Boy.



The story is a genuinely fascinating one and we imagine the film borrows quite a bit from David Sheff’s 1993 book Game Over, even if it seems to be underplaying the role of Nintendo figures such as Minoru Arakawa.



The main character is Dutch entrepreneur and video game designer Henk Rogers, played by Kingsman star Taron Egerton, along with Toby Jones as Robert Stein – who was first to realise the game’s global potential.



Even if you’re not familiar with the story, the film features many famous figures from Nintendo history, including former Nintendo of America chairman Howard Lincoln and Nintendo president Hiroshi Yamauchi.



We don’t see any mention of Gunpei Yokoi, who created the Game Boy and was the producer of the Nintendo version of the game, in the IMDB listing , but Tetris creator Alexey Pajitnov and Robert Maxwell are definitely in it, as is Mikhail Gorbachev.



Maxwell was trying to leverage his contacts in the Kremlin to make sure he got the rights to the game, which is probably not the level of Cold War intrigue most players at the time imagined for the game.



It doesn’t seem like the film is getting a theatrical release but is instead an Apple TV+ exclusive, set for a March 31 release.



Hogwarts Legacy multiplayer mod shows first gameplay footage Hogwarts Legacy: release date, price, Harry Potter characters and more



Although the idea of an action movie based on Tetris has been a running joke for decades one was actually planned at one point, with an announcement in 2014 threatening a trilogy of films that would form an ‘epic sci-fi adventure.’



That’s not what this is, but perhaps if it does well Robert De Niro can start brushing up on his skills, ready for the Tetris Cinematic Universe.









Email  [email protected] , leave a comment below, and  follow us on Twitter .





MORE : World’s smallest video games console is the size of your thumb and plays Tetris







MORE : Tetris Effect: Connected review – the ultimate puzzle game







MORE : Tetris 99 review – Tetris battle royale





Follow Metro Gaming on  Twitter  and email us at  [email protected]



To submit Inbox letters and Reader’s Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our  Submit Stuff page here .



For more stories like this,  check our Gaming page .