Eidos wants film deal for new game

LARA CROFT owner Eidos is touting the Hitman game it has just bought around Hollywood in a bid to turn it into a film.

Chief executive Mike McGarvey said today that a movie deal is up to six months away as he announced the £28m purchase of Danish studio IO Interactive, owner of the Hitman franchise.

Eidos also said interim pre-tax profits jumped 17% to £7.8m in line with expectations and the shares added 2 1/2p to 136p.

As also warned that revenues for the six months to end-December fell to £78.7m from £88.9m the year before.

Earnings were hit by the weak dollar and the relatively poor performance of the Commandos 3 and Legacy of Kain games.

McGarvey said Commandos 3 would be moving from computer game to console game to lift sales. A new Championship Manager 5 football game is out this autumn.