Funny, because Japan's D3 Publisher releases games called "Earth Defense Force".
Sam Raimi (Evil Dead series) is teaming up with District 9 producer Bill Block and Air Force One scribe Andrew Marlowe for "EDF", a film about an alien invasion. "EDF" stands for "Earth Defense Force", and apparently Raimi isn't directing.
Since 2003, D3 Publisher has released a handful of Earth Defense Force video games. The titles, developed by Tokyo-based studio Sandlot, are known "The Chikyuu Boueigun" ("The Earth Defense Force") and feature a group of troops destroying large alien-controlled insects and mecha.
The games have no relation to the upcoming Sam Raimi project. "There is no relationship at the moment that has been presented to us between the movie and video game," a D3 Publisher spokesperson tells Kotaku.
EDF follows a U.S. military unit that has been deployed to rescue a sub that accidentally run afoul in Chinese waters, reports New York Magazine. A dogfight ensues, but both Chinese and American planes are shot out of the water by three alien spacecraft that go on to destroy landmarks and key military structures. It's a race against the clock as humans try to create weaponry and vehicles that can sustain another attack.
While Earth Defense Force games have been released under various titles that include "Monster Attack" and "Global Defense Force", D3 tells Kotaku that is has a copyright on "Earth Defense Force". This could become complicated for the EDF film with new Earth Defense Force game next year.
This isn't the first game with "Earth Defense Force". In 1991, a Super Nintendo game called "Earth Defense Force" was release. The game also used the "E.D.F." acronym.