If you’ve been waiting to slip into the skin of super serial killer Sylar or show off your indestructible cheerleader moves when the Heroes game by Ubisoft lands at your local retail store, then you’ll just have to wait a little bit longer. Game developer Ubisoft has confirmed that the long-in-planning Heroes game has been canceled, and the game rights to the TV show have reverted back to NBC Universal, which owns the show. In casting news, former Everwood star Justin Baldoni has joined the cast of Heroes Season 3 in a brief recurring role as a California surfer.
More about Ubisoft canceling the Heroes game from MTV:
Ubisoft has confirmed to MTV Multiplayer that the company is no longer publishing the “Heroes” video game based on the NBC television series.
Here’s the statement from public relations director Jaime Cottini:
“The rights to the ‘Heroes’ video game have reverted back to NBC Universal. Ubisoft will no longer produce a video game based on the TV series.”
The game was officially announced in July 2007 and slated to release in late 2008. Ubisoft’s announcement follows NBC’s firing of the program’s executive producers, reported by Variety this past weekend.
I don’t think the recent firing of Jeph Loeb and Jesse Alexander has anything to do with the game cancellation, especially since the game was originally scheduled to launch late 2008, and we haven’t seen or heard much from it until now. This just seems like the old axiom, “When it rains, it pours.”
Meanwhile, in more positive Season 3 news, EW’s Michael Ausiello reports on a new castmember who will be showing up for a few episodes, possibly in the same ones featuring Seth Green and Breckin Meyer as comic book store owners.
Sources confirm to me exclusively that Justin Baldoni [pictured right], who played Emily VanCamp’s ripped med student beau on the late, great WB classic, is joining the cast as Alex, a Southern California surfer dude who works at a comic book store.
Baldoni will appear in a minimum of two episodes.
It’s unclear what connection, if any, Baldoni’s Andy will have to the comic book geeks played by Seth Green and Breckin Meyer. But I think it’s safe to say comic books play a key role in the upcoming “Fugitives” arc.
Ausiello may have reported the news as early as yesterday, but JustJared already has pictures of the actor on the Heroes set (below). Baldoni apparently has a scene with Hayden Panettiere’s Claire Bennet, which makes me wonder what a “California surfer” has to do with two comic book geeks who owns a comic book store? Maybe it’s more likely that Baldoni’s character is West’s replacement?
