In recent years, there has been a resurgence of video game adaptations for both movies and television, with more and more studios jumping on the bandwagon. This trend can be seen in the releases of The Last of Us series, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, and the Resident Evil series on Netflix. As gaming becomes more mainstream, it’s no surprise that studios are tapping into the already existing fan bases to produce adaptations of popular games.
The adaptation of The Last of Us series created a buzz among fans of the critically acclaimed game by Naughty Dog. The series chronicled Joel and Ellie’s journey through a post-apocalyptic America that was fraught with danger and cruelty. Given the immense success of the game, it came as no surprise that HBO gave the green light for the series. Fans were excited to see how the series would translate to the TV screen, especially with actors such as Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey set to star in the lead roles. With the game’s captivating storytelling and immersive gameplay, there is no doubt that the series was a massive hit.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie was another highly anticipated adaptation that was recently released. Produced by Illumination, the studio behind Despicable Me and Minions, this animated film featured the voice talents of Chris Pratt as Mario, Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach, and Jack Black as Bowser. Although not based on any specific game, the movie followed Mario as he tried to stop Bowser from taking over the world. Given the enduring popularity of the Mario franchise, the movie was expected to be a hit, with both fans of the games and families looking for a fun, family-friendly film.
The Resident Evil series on Netflix was another prime example of the ongoing trend of video game adaptations. The show was based on the widely popular survival horror game series and followed Jade Wesker as she fought for her life in a world that had been overrun by infected creatures while being tormented by her family’s role in the outbreak. The series proved to be a huge hit with fans and was renewed for a second season. However, the second series has since been cancelled.
While horror and survival games have been especially popular for adaptations, there are plenty of other genres that have been successfully translated into film and TV. Action-adventure games like Tomb Raider and Uncharted have already seen adaptations, while fantasy games like The Witcher have also been successful. Even mobile games, like Angry Birds and Candy Crush, have seen movie adaptations.
In addition to AAA titles, there are also successful HTML5 games that could potentially make for great adaptations. Adaptations of these titles would also allow more creative freedom to filmmakers as the games are by nature, lighter, in terms of the graphics an story. With the rise of HTML5 games, there is no doubt that we will see more adaptations of these games in the future.
The video game adaptation trend shows no signs of slowing down, with studios constantly announcing new projects based on popular games. While not all adaptations have been successful, the ones that have are proof that video games can make for great source material for movies or television series. Whether you’re a fan of the games or just looking for something new to watch, there’s sure to be a video game adaptation that will pique your interest.