"Heavy Rain" Film Moving Forward

David Milch is heading into "Heavy Rain," signing to adapt the noir-style videogame with Bob Shaye and Michael Lynne producing through their Unique Features banner.
As first reported on Variety.com, "Rain" is being developed via Unique's first-look deal with Warner Bros., which is fast-tracking the project. Milch will start writing "Rain" once he's finished work on the first season of HBO's horse-racing series "Luck," on which he's creator and exec producer.

"Heavy Rain," based on the Sony Computer Entertainment game released last year, spans four days of mystery and centers on the hunt for a murderer known as the Origami Killer. Four characters, each following his own leads and with his own motives, take part in a desperate attempt to prevent the killer from claiming a new victim, with each character's decisions affecting the plans of the other three.

Milch has a big following from his role as creator/exec producer of "NYPD Blue" and "Deadwood." "David Milch's incredible ability to transform intense and complex storylines into gripping, popular drama makes him the perfect partner for us to have on 'Heavy Rain,' " Shaye said.

The game was created by Paris-based Quantic Dream, developers of "Indigo Prophecy," and built around a 2,000-page script written by founder and CEO David Cage. Unique's Dylan Sellers and Jonna Smith will join Shaye and Lynne in the development of the project along with Warner exec Courtenay Valenti.

Shaye and Lynne, the former toppers at New Line, signed their first-look deal at Warners in 2008 a few months after the studio dramatically cut operations at the mini-major.

Milch is repped by CAA.