In the 2020s, video game movies are in a better place than ever.Sonic the Hedgehogis a consistently successful franchise, and 2023’sThe Super Mario Bros. Moviewas one of the top-grossing films worldwide. Whether they’re on the big screen or the small one, video game franchises are striking with the core fanbase and introducing the wider audience to established IPs. Nevertheless, it wasn’t always like this, and the road to successful video game movies has been a rocky one.
Video game adaptations have a rough history in Hollywood. The 90s gave birth to video game movies in name only, producinglaughably bad films like the live-actionSuper Mario Bros,Street Fighter, andMortal Kombat. The2000s brought mild improvement, with franchises likeTomb RaiderandResident Evilperforming well enough to warrant sequels and garner a small fanbase. Nevertheless, most adaptations were messy, likeDoomandHitman.
One of the main issues with the early era of video game movieswas that they wereembarrassed to embrace their source material. But video games continued to deliver amazing experiences, and became a respected, profitable industry, which prompted film studios to take them more seriously. The 2010s saw studios injecting huge amounts of money into game adaptations, which resulted in films likePrince of Persia,Assassin’s Creed, andWarcraft.While these movies had great spectacle, especially in the case ofWarcraft, theylacked a crucial elementof any successful film – a good story. Video game movies became cursed, a seemingly impossible genre to pull off, but things started to change in 2019.
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From the small screen to the big screen to the small screen again.
‘Detective Pikachu’ Changed Everything
In 2019, Hollywood finally found a formula that stuck.Sonic the HedgehogandDetective Pikachuwere released to positive reviews and performed well at the box office. Both moviesblended animated characters with the real world, opening up the possibility of using big-name actors AND memorable animated icons to draw audiences. Ryan Reynolds paired up with Pikachu, Sonic (Ben Schwartz) had Jim Carrey, and a new era was born. It’s also worth noting thatcomedy played a huge partin their success.Both Reynolds and Carey are veteran comic actors, adding to the appeal.
Most importantly, these filmswere targeted towards children, which is perhaps the biggest contributing factor to their success. Adapting older video games meant the films could appeal to both children and their parents familiar with IP from childhood.After two Sonic Sequels, a Mario movie, and the upcoming Minecraft film, it seems video games have found a home on the big screen. However, countless video games deserve adaptations that aren’t appropriate for children, and the cinema needs to diversify the types of video game movies to garner older audiences.
Mostadult-steered franchises have been sequestered to television,which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Games with heavy themes and complex narratives require more time to tell the story correctly and shows likeThe Last of Us,Fallout, andThe Witcherhave proven that. Animation has proven to be the best medium for video games on television.Arcane,Castlevania, andCyberpunk: Edgerunnersare arguably the best video game storieson screen. These shows use games as a blueprint for the world and then craft a compelling story within it. Video game fans are eating well in the 2020s, but it would be nice to see other, more mature franchises as cinematic events.
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The works ofHideo Kojimacould easily be adapted into a film.Metal Gear SolidandDeath Strandingare filled with meticulously crafted cutscenes with amazing cinematography. Kojima himself is a huge admirer of cinema, drawing from the works of filmmakers like Kurosawa and Steve McQueen while developing his games. Rockstar Studio’s two main franchises,Red Dead RedemptionandGrand Theft Auto, pay homage to countless Hollywood Classics throughout their campaigns and are ripe for adaptation.
There are a lot of adaptations currently in development, though whether they eventually pan out is still uncertain.Kong: Skull IslanddirectorJordan Vogt-Robertshas been developing aMetal Gear Solidfilm starring Oscar Isaac for the past 10 years but has struggled to get the project off the ground. ThoughKojima has mentioned his involvement in the production of aDeath Strandingfilm alongside A24. Sony also has plans to adapt some of their major IPs likeGod of War,Ghost of Tsushima,Helldivers, andHorizon: Zero Dawn, though there hasn’t been much word on any of these aside from their announcement. Nevertheless, 2025 brings sequels toMortal KombatandFive Nights at Freddy’s, as well as a newUntil Dawnhorror movie, so there is still some potential to see adult-steered video game moviessucceed in the immediate future.
Video game movies are in a better place than ever, with some amazing work being done on television. Regardless of genre and target audience, their successbreeds prospects for many more potential adaptations from a variety of franchises. WithA Minecraft Moviejust around the corner, 2025 might see another billion-dollar video game movie rivaling Mario’s success two years ago.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3
Sonic the Hedgehog is available to stream on Paramount Plus in the U.S.
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