Tech lovers in the UK will no doubt recognise the name Jason Bradbury – he was one of the hosts of the popular Gadget Show programme for many years.
What you might not be aware of is the fact that Bradbury is a keen retro gamer, and he's making a film about a group of old-school players who are tasked with taking down a "rogue AI".
Ctrl AI Delete launches on Kickstarter soon, and is described by its creator as "a retro-fuelled, laugh-out-loud action comedy" that should appeal to anyone who is a fan of "the golden era of arcade machines, floppy disks and classic consoles."
Here's some more PR:
When an AI goes rogue, humanity's only hope is a gang of retro gamers and their beloved vintage tech in this comedy feature film.
It's mayhem on the streets of our gritty seaside town setting as an AI rollout gone wrong triggers a global technological meltdown. Our film combines the down to earth humour of classic British comedies with the nostalgic vibes of 80s and 90s action flicks—think The Inbetweeners meets Wargames!
Bradbury is writing the film alongside comedian Mark Felgate, while Elizabeth Blake Thomas is directing. Iconic '90s dance act Utah Saints are curating the movie's soundtrack.
The film's official page offers some more context:
When the world's most sophisticated AI unexpectedly goes rogue—the technologized world plunges into mayhem. In the epicenter of this chaos is a quirky band of video game aficionados at a retro gaming expo. Armed with nothing more than their vintage gaming consoles, floppy disks and classic home computers, these unlikely heroes must outsmart the most formidable digital intelligence ever devised.
It’s an 80s hacker movie, set in the modern day - and in an age of 24-hour connectivity - it’s a love letter to an era when computing and gaming were a lot simpler. More importantly, at it’s emotional core, ‘Ctrl AI Delete’ is about how a group of very ordinary friends dig deep and find a courage and resourcefullness they never knew they had, in order to fight against a global disaster.
According to the Kickstarter page, campaign perks will include "cool merch, roles in the movie [and] your name on our exclusive arcade machine High Scores Screen."
"We’re calling on fans of 80s and 90s cinema, retro gaming and anyone who loves a good underdog story to join us on this adventure," concludes the crowdfunding description.
If you'd like to be notified when the campaign launches, then you can register your interest here.