Clint Eastwood almost starred in a video game based on one of his best movies

Clint Eastwood could have returned as one of his most iconic characters in a video game during the early 2000s, but things didn’t quite work out.

If everyone’s being honest, a lot of Clint Eastwood movies would have made great video games. (Just think: a video game adaptation of The Good, The Bad and The Ugly could probably put Red Dead Redemption to shame.) The reality is that we came very close. It’ll surprise many to know that there was a Clint Eastwood game once fully in development, all based on one of his best movies, Dirty Harry.

That’s right — Eastwood’s no-nonsense, “plays by his own rules” cop almost got a video game set in the same universe as the thriller movies. What’s more, it would have starred the Western legend himself as Harry, since he was all set to voice the character and lend his likeness once again. Sadly, it ended up having a bumpy journey that ended abruptly.

The game began development back in 2006, headed by Loose Cannon Studios. It was then handed over to The Collective, who continued the project.

Not much information was released about the ill-fated game, other than a few details. For one, an early concept hinted that it would be a free-roaming format, wherein the player could wander around San Francisco. However, this concept was later switched out for a mission-based play instead.

Within the canon, the game would have taken place between Dirty Harry (1971) and Magnum Force (1973). It was also said that it would follow the plot of the first film, with the player (as Harry Callahan) tracking down a serial killer called Scorpio. And while Eastwood would have voiced the character, it never got that far.

The only footage ever released was a trailer, which featured the iconic line, “Do I feel lucky?” This, however, was a recording pulled directly from the movie. (You can watch the trailer for yourself below.)

The justification behind the game itself was an attempt to draw younger audiences to the franchise, with the game’s release aiming to coincide with the HD DVD collection. In a statement, Clint Eastwood said: “Creating Dirty Harry video games will also introduce this memorable film character to new generations on a medium they appreciate.”

The game was eventually canceled before release in 2007. According to sources, the game was around “70% complete” when production suddenly shut down. Allegedly, Warner Bros. Interactive were unsatisfied with the progress on the project when they checked-in, and ended up revoking the rights.

Shortly after, Warner Bros. Interactive claimed that they would be “moving forward” with the Dirty Harry video game, and were “changing development plans”. However, in 2008, development was cancelled for good.

A sad story for what could have potentially been a highly successful game based on one of the most iconic cop franchises of all time.

For more in the video game world, check out our guide to The Last of Us Season 2, and our guide to the Fallout soundtrack.