Movie Based on Iconic Sports Video Game Reportedly in Works

If you've ever played sports video games, then chances are you have heard of "Tecmo Bowl," if not played the iconic Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) game yourself. According to a new report, "Tecmo Bowl" may be coming to movie screens soon.

Variety reported Tuesday that Tongal, a studio that has developed content for Netflix, NBC Universal and other major brands, is in the process of developing a feature film based on the 1980s gridiron video game. Tongal has begun soliciting "designers and animators who can reimagine the 8-bit characters from Tecmo Bowl as 3D characters for the modern era."

More information on what Tongal is looking for

Tongal, which collaborated with Pharrell Williams on his 2024 animated Lego biopic Piece by Piece, is seeking two teams to each develop their own version of Bo Jackson, the legendary NFL running back and unstoppable force of the original "Tecmo Bowl."

"How the original Tecmo style translates to 3D is entirely up to you, and we're open to any and all interpretations," the Tongal website says. "Whatever the style, we want to ensure that the personality of the player can come through in the design."

From there, one team will be tasked with creating updated images of 1980s NFL stars Lawrence Taylor and Howie Long, along with a new Tecmo Bowl logo and background design.

The deadline for pitches is February 17.

Decades later, the impact of Tecmo Bowl' lives on

The original arcade version of "Tecmo Bowl" was unveiled in 1987, with the NES version debuting two years later. It was the first console game to feature actual likenesses of NFL players thanks to an agreement with the league's Players Association.

The game was later platformed on Game Boy in 1991 and spawned several sequels, including "Tecmo Super Bowl," released the same year.

“I grew up playing ‘Tecmo Bowl’ with my friends, as did so many kids of the 90s, and I know this is going to resonate with the fans and their families,” Tongal CEO and co-founder James DeJulio said. “We’re bringing together our creator community and cutting-edge creator platform to reinvent how features are developed and produced. Just as we did with Piece by Piece, this is an opportunity to innovate and build a new model for storytelling — one where beloved IP is supercharged by the talent and ideas of independent creators around the world.”