Donkey Kong, Pac-Man, Others to Feature in Adam Sandler’s ‘Pixels’

A still from the short film that inspired the Adam Sandler movie. (One More Production)

Wreck-It Ralph is no longer the only film that can boast some major cameos from the video-game world.

Adam Sandler’s upcoming Pixels has nabbed some iconic characters — all from gaming’s classic coin-op days — including Pac-Man and Donkey Kong.

In the movie (which is based on a short film of the same name), aliens mistake footage of classic arcade titles as a threat to their planet and decide to invade the Earth before it can attack them. Sandler, Michelle Monaghan, and Peter Dinklage team up to protect Earth from the game-like assault.

The list of video-game characters who will be a part of the film is a pretty extensive one. Along with Pac-Man and Donkey Kong, expect to see characters from Galaga, Dig-Dug, Space Invaders, Centipede, Asteroids, Breakout, Missile Command, Frogger, Joust, Defender, Robotron, and Wizard of Wor.

Also making an appearance will be Q*bert, who played a small but pivotal role in Disney’s arcade-inspired 2012 hit. (A sequel to Wreck-It Ralph is already said to be in the planning stages.)

The extensive list of cameos is impressive but probably shouldn’t be too surprising, given how critical they are to the story. Nonetheless, filmmakers say they’re taking great care to showcase the characters respectfully.

“We approached them with a deep love for their characters and a respect for the elements that make them unique and iconic, and we’ve worked with the companies to incorporate those elements into the film,” producer Allen Covert said.

Though the film won’t be out until May 15 next year, Sony plans to start ramping up promotion this weekend at Comic-Con, with an arcade featuring the classic games. (And don’t be surprised if a trailer makes its debut at the event, too.)

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