The Japanese poster for the film

The only thing worse than a video game based on a movie is a movie based on a video game, right? Sure, some are so bad they're good, but in our opinion, there really hasn't been a true high-quality game-to-film adaptation to date.

Perhaps, though, just perhaps, someone may have solved the cinematic adaptation puzzle. Professor Layton, the lovable and highly acclaimed DS series, is set to make its straight to video film debut in the UK this September via Manga Entertainment in Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva. As we gather from the trailer, which you can watch below, it uses the same aesthetic as the DS series and tells the story of the titular professor and his apprentice, Luke, deciphering the mysterious puzzle of eternal life. The film apparently features many tantalizing, cryptic quotes from little girls such as "I've gotten a hold of the eternal life!" and fearfully mysterious songs to boot.

British fans can look forward to watching the movie this September while Americans can sigh and hope that a U.S. distributor sees its potential. It's done well enough in its native Japan, wherein Oriental Light & Magic, who produced the recent Pokémon films, released it last December. Already in motion are production plans for a sequel and even a live-action adaptation.

If the involvement of a franchise's original creator means quality to you then you'll be happy to learn that the film was co-written by Akihiro Hino, the games' designer. Co-writer Aya Matsui also penned Dragon Ball: The Path to Power and the Japan-only film adaptation of the Animal Crossing series (and, apparently, something called Eat-Man), while this is director Masakazu Hashimoto's first film. Do these credits not impress you? Just watch that preview! She's gotten a hold of the eternal life!

Tantalizing trailer aside, only time will tell whether this is the first amazing marriage of video game and cinema or just another Pokémon movie.

[source kotaku.com, via imdb.com]