Video game publisher Infogrames has optioned the featurefilm and television rights to its Drivergame franchise to German independent production and distribution companyConstantin Film. Constantin's subsidiary UK-based Impact Pictures -run by Jeremy Bolt and Paul Anderson - plans to take the project intoproduction this year with Paul W S Anderson (Resident Evil) lined up to direct.

Driver isInfogrames' top title to date, with worldwide sales for the first twoinstalments passing 12 million. Driver 3 is due out this summer. The story centres on the exploitsof Tanner, an undercover police officer hired by gangsters as a getaway driver.'This is a great opportunity to develop the extremely cool game characterof Tanner into a memorable movie figure,' Bolt, the picture's producer,said in a statement. Anderson not only directed Resident Evil but also Mortal Kombat and is considered an expert in adaptingvideo games to movies.

Infogrames isone of the largest third party games publishers in the US and has brought outmore than 1,000 titles, including Unreal Tournament, RollerCoaster Tycoon and the upcoming Enter The Matrix.