Virtually Heroes -- a long-lost Roger Corman film co-starring Mark Hamill in the role of a "Yoda-like Monk" -- is finally being released to theaters and streaming platforms.

Initially screened as an official selection at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival, Roger Corman's Virtually Heroes failed to find subsequent distribution. As a result, fans worldwide never got to see the film. That will finally be rectified in December 2020 thanks to a newly inked deal with Screen Media, as reported by Variety.

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What is Virtually Heroes?

With a script by Matt Yamashita and G.J. Echternkamp that seemingly predicts later hits like Free Guy, Wreck-It Ralph, and Ready Player One, Virtually Heroes follows the story of in-game characters who suddenly become aware that they're trapped in a Call of Duty-style console game. Hamill plays the part of a "Yoda-like monk" who provides crucial wisdom and guidance that allows the meta-hostage virtual soldiers to "win the game and get the girl."

Screen Media described Virtually Heroes' tone and style as "a perfect blend of action and campy, tongue-in-cheek comedy" that will "be sure to delight viewers – whether this is their first foray into the world of Roger Corman or fiftieth."

Co-starring alongside Hamill are Robert Baker (Supergirl, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull), Brent Chase (Shameless, Animal Kingdom), and Katie Savoy (How I Met Your Mother, Sequestered). Co-screenwriter Echternkamp also directed the film.

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Echternkamp is enthusiastic that his film will finally find an audience. "Virtually Heroes was an ambitious project in many ways, and not exactly what you would call a conventional film," he said. "I'm so glad that Screen Media is at last bringing this cult movie out of the shadows and onto their platform to be discovered by a new audience."

Plans are to initially release the film in a limited December theatrical run and direct-to-digital. In February 2023, the film will hit streaming via Popcornflix (corporate sibling to Screen Media, under the parent banner of Chicken Soup for the Soul). The Crackle Plus platform will handle the streaming distribution.

Mark Hamill's Mid-2010s Comeback

Mark Hamill was on the verge of a comeback when Virtually Heroes was screened in 2013. The following year he'd appear in the critically acclaimed big-screen adaptation of the Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons comic Kingsman: The Secret Service. He'd follow that up with his highly anticipated return to the Star Wars universe, reprising the role of Luke Skywalker in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

At 96 years old, Corman has shown little signs of slowing down. Although he hasn't sat in the director's chair since 1990's Frankenstein Unbound (starring John Hurt, Raul Julia, and Bridget Fonda), Corman has produced over 30 films since then, including four Death Race films.

Source: Variety