French distributor Gaumont Multimedia is hoping to sell almost 1m units across two video games based on its most successful box office hits of recent years, The Fifth Element and two Les Visiteurs movies. While former has become international hit, latter remains a primarily French phenomenon.

Fifth Element game (www.kalisto.com/the_fifth_element/) is to receive pan-European launch next month (April), just after its French launch; Sony will distribute it for Playstation and Ubisoft the PC version. Distribution deals have also been agreed in US and Japan; sales target in latter market is 200,000 units, whilst worldwide predictions are for up to 750,000 units. Development costs of Ffr10m ($1.7m) were financed 80 per cent by Gaumont (France; +33/1/47 38 20 00; www.gaumont.com/finance/index_e) and 20 per cent by developer Kalisto.

This month (March) also sees release of Les Visiteurs game, which had budget of Ffr 5m. It is aimed at family audiences and will have relatively low retail price of Ffr 299 ($50). Gaumont is anticipating record sales of 200,000 units in France.