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Peter Berg boards Battleship movie

Peter Berg

Story by Jack Foley

PETER Berg is to direct the live-action big screen version of naval combat board game Battleship.

The director, whose previous work includes Hancock and The Kingdom, described the cinema re-imagining of the Battleship brand as “a contemporary story of an international five-ship fleet engaged in a very dynamic, violent and intense battle”.

Universal has set a July 1, 2011, release date for the movie, according to Variety, which aims to further the success of previous toy brands such as Transformers and GI Joe [by Hasbro] on the big screen.

As a board game, Battleship has sold more than 100 million units since its launch by Milton Bradley in 1967.

Berg, who has also recently announced plans to direct a Hancock sequel that would reunite its three main stars, has signed on to the project as part of a two-picture deal that will also enable him to direct an Afghan war drama named Lone Survivor.

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