Gerard Butler's New Action Film will be "Citizen Game"-name change confirmed false (April Fools joke)

http://buzzescafe.blogspot.com/2009/04/gerard-butlers-new-action-film-will-be.html

Lionsgate will be releasing another anticipated popcorn action film this year which starred Gerard Butler and previously called "Game." Now, the studio announced that the film has been renamed to "Citizen Game" and got the September 4th release date. Actually, an Italian trailer for the film recently also has leaked online, but quickly got pulled down by the studio. In substitute, Lionsgate promised to release the American trailer soon.

"Citizen Game" is written and directed by Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor, better known as the "Crank" guys. Actually, this futuristic action movie was shot before two filmmakers went on to shoot "Crank" sequel which is "Crank: High Voltage."

Here is the plot of the film: Plot: In the not too distant future, Kabel (Butler), a death row inmate, has unwittingly become a pop culture hero. Every week, millions worldwide tune in online to watch him and hundreds of other convicts battle in Slayers, an ultra-violent multi-player online game invented by technological genius Ken Castle (Michael C. Hall). To the wealthy young gamer who controls his every move, Kable is just a sim (simulation) character. To the resistance group that opposes Castle’s games as high-tech slavery, he is a critical element in their battle to take down the inventor. Caught in the crosshairs of two opposing forces and under the command of a teenager’s remote device, Kable must use his extraordinary fighting skills to escape the game, bring down Castle and overthrow the system.

I've given Gerry a new nickname: Rosebud.

Citizen Game? Citizen Game? Citizen Game?!?!

Hence the nickname "Rosebud".

Ummmm.......NO. Better keep the name as it was.

This is lame. They should change it back.

Yea I don't like this new name for the movie either. Should we get up a petition???

Rosebud?? Petal?? Come on guys.

it's catchy though, clever...wonder how the guys who made the film feel about the change.

http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/article...URR04/304169971

According to this - the name has not changed and it has a December release.....

according to reports, it was an April Fools' joke to change the name to Citizen Game.

Wait, December?

The link doesn't work, m'dear...

I saw an article that said that too (maybe the same article that you have posted - I can't tell b/c the link isn't working for me). I think it is a misprint on the release date. The directors said that they wanted to release Game the same time of year as they did Crank. Crank was released Sept. 1, 2006.
So I think the release date for Game is the same as previously reported -- Sept 4th -- and not the Dec. 4 as stated in the article.

Edited to add:
It appears that the article that I was talking about has corrected the release date -- it is now Sept. 4th.

http://www.collider.com/entertainment/interviews/article.asp?aid=11604&tcid=1

http://www.collider.com/entertainment/interviews/article.asp?aid=11604&tcid=1
..................
extract

Okay, so I’m going to move onto another question which a lot of people are wondering, is “Game” now re-titled “Citizen Game”?

Brian: A great April Fool’s Day joke that everybody bought into. (idiots )

I’m looking on the always accurate IMDB and it lists “Citizen Game”.

Mark: Ah, we fooled even them.
Brian: We sent out an announcement on April 1st that the movie was now called “Citizen Game” and until we decide to change that announcement then that’s just going to have to live.

So you’re saying the movie is going to be changing titles yet again?

Mark: Yes, sir.

I know you guys did some test screenings, at least one of them, but I think two of the film. What were people’s reactions to the screenings and was it cool to finally show the movie to an audience?

Mark: It was amazing. The focus groups were unbelievable. The focus groups were so excited and they got so much from the movie that we weren’t sure they were going to get and this movie is a sci-fi future fantasy f**k up movie. And the response again from the focus group was awesome. But you know what’s better than that? The cast, who pretty much all the cast has now seen the movie—almost—and they absolutely love it and that’s just what warms our hearts.

So what’s the plan for the film right now? It’s coming out later this year.

Mark: You got it.

When is it?

Brian: September 4th. It’s the same weekend that “Crank” came out.

So it’s going to be ooh a nice film to go against the Academy stuff.

Brian: Well and it’s the same weekend that “Crank” came out.

Are you guys going to go do anything at Comic-Con this summer to promote it?

Brian: Absolutely.

Any plans yet? Anything you figured out?

Brian: Absolutely. I mean we’ve already said we want to do like a gay cage match with me and Jerry Butler and Jason Statham.

I’m sure that would go over very well with a select group in the audience.

Brian: Yeah, very well. A very select group. We’re going to do Comic-Con right this year. It’s going to be a blow out. It’ll be fun.

etc..etc...

I had heard the news about the April Fools joke, but forgot to update the information.

Thanks for coming forward and straightening things out!

...I passed in these parts and.....

I think the backlash was so bad for the new title that they said it was an April Fools joke to cover their asses.

lol...not really...it was a joke, per someone I know, who knows someone, who knows the guys...

I was told about this earlier this month, maybe close to April 1st. I was promised not to say anything though, until the news of the joke came out...

sorry...

Funny thing is, the articles are still calling it Citizen Game. I guess word about it being a joke didn't spread far enough.

not really...

LOL!

Alice, did you know that G LOVES a woman of mystery?

that's good...so the less I want him, and the less I play I know more than you, I'm a wanted woman...lol!

Precisely.

ahhh...now I get it.