When we first wrote about the existence of a live-action "sci-fi" film based on the narrative-free gamea few years ago, we weren't sure if the project would be stuck in development hell forever (like previous Asteroids and Spy Hunter movie projects) or if it would eventually become a bona fide big-budget blockbuster (like the $300 million grossing Battleship ). Today brings a bit of news leaning toward the latter possibility, as Threshold Entertainment announced it has secured $80 million in funding for the project.

Threshold's Larry Kasanoff is no stranger to video game adaptations. He worked on the halfway decent Mortal Kombat film back in 1995, which grossed $70 million. Asian media mogul Bruno Wu, who set up a $1.6 billion media fund late last year, will serve as co-producer on the film, seemingly ensuring that the movie will be able to sustain any unplanned budget overruns.

Deadline reports that filming is planned for 2017 with Chinese locations and a Chinese cast, though "the goal is to make world movies for the world market," according to Kasanoff. The film could even be the basis for a trilogy, the producer says, with a plot that's "not at all what you think; it will be a cool surprise." Back in 2014, Kasanoff told the Wall Street Journal that "this isn't a movie with a bunch of lines running around the page. We’re not giving feet to the geometric shapes... What you [will] see in Tetris is the teeny tip of an iceberg that has intergalactic significance."

Maya Rogers, CEO of Tetris licensing agent Blue Planet Software, was apparently unable to help herself when announcing the news. "Just like playing the game, all the pieces are falling into place with bringing an epic, sci-fi thriller based on Tetris to the big screen," she said.