Second Life wife strife brought to big screen

 

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By Stuart Turton

Posted on 18 Dec 2008 at 16:45

Gore Verbinski, the director of the Pirates of the Caribbean, has acquired the rights to make a film based on Second Life.

Verbinski has acquired the rights to a 2007 Wall Street Journal article by Alexandra Alter called Is This Man Cheating On His Wife?

The article tells the story of Second Life addict Ric Hoogestraat, a chain-smoking 53-year-old who would spend 20 hours a day pretending to be a muscle-bound businessman in Second Life. He also had a wife in the game, as well as one at home, hence the title of the article.

Verbinski is apparently keen to explore the "detrimental effects of role-playing", a phrase which could have been invented for the English couple who are getting divorced after the husband was caught having online sex with his Second Life wife.

Steven Knight, who penned Dirty Pretty Things, will handle script-writing duties.