Over recent years, there have been a number of movie releases that have been adapted from video games. In the past, we have seen movies be the inspiration for plenty of video games. But now, with the video game industry being bigger and more influential than ever, the opposite is happening.
Movie studios have noticed the popularity of video games. This has led to them cashing in and making full feature films based on the storylines.
There are a number of factors at play, including nostalgia, that are influencing the trend of video game to movie adaptations. Carry on reading to discover why, and delve into our list of the best video game to movie adaptations you can watch today.
Why video game to movie adaptations are so popular
Established Fanbase
With video games being more popular than ever, they often have dedicated fan bases. These audiences are eager to see their favourite characters and storylines come to life on the big screen. This provides a great opportunity for Hollywood bosses to cash in on an audience and make a return on their investment.
Nostalgia
This is especially the case with older video game franchises. Audiences may have new interests, but they are still nostalgic about games they enjoyed as kids. This means that they may still be interested in reliving their youth through cinema and seeing how their favourite characters have developed in a new environment.
Mutual benefit
Video game movie adaptations don’t just mean more money for film executives; they can also drive sales for the original game. This means that game bosses are also interested in having their games turned into movies. This creates a mutually beneficial agreement that aids both movie studios, game developers and audiences alike.
New movie ideas
In recent times, we have seen many old movies and TV shows being poorly remade. This has led to sequels, prequels and remakes seemingly becoming more common than original films. There are only so many films that can be remade or a sequel added to the franchise. Video game movie adaptations offer a ‘fresh’ film that isn’t a commercial gamble as it already has an established fanbase.
Best video game to movie adaptations
Uncharted (2022)
Starring Tom Holland as Nathan Drake, Uncharted brings all of the action from the video games to the big screen. The movie featured a variety of exotic locations, action-packed drama and interesting and dynamic storytelling, making it one of the best video game adaptations. Although some fans of the game picked fault with how certain characters were portrayed in the movie, overall the film impressed. Both video game fans and those who were simply enticed by the star-studded cast enjoyed the film.
Sonic the Hedgehog (2020)
With plenty of drama leading up Sonic the Hedgehog, including a successful campaign from dedicated audiences to remodel the character design, there was a lot riding on its release. Luckily for fans, the remodel of the characters combined with Jim Carrey’s voice acting, a humorous script and a big dollop of nostalgia meant the movie was a success. The sequels then proved its ability to win over the crowd.
Detective Pikachu (2019)
Based on the Pokemon franchise, Detective Pikachu is a live-action/CGI hybrid. Fans were impressed with the story, effects and Ryan Reynolds’ voice acting as Pikachu. There were plenty of comedic elements to the movie and it appealed to younger fans new to the world of Pokemon as well as older audiences who grew up with Pokemon as a big part of their childhood. This is one of the fan favourite video game movies.
Tomb Raider (2018)
While the 2018 Tomb Raider movie took inspiration from the games rather than directly pulling from them, audiences were content with this story of Lara Croft. This movie helped to bring video game movies into the mainstream; with a great cast and a bigger budget than ever before, it has paved the way for current and future video game movie adaptations to reach greater heights.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023)
Despite critics’ mixed opinions on this film, audiences seemed to enjoy it. This may be another case of nostalgia taking over, but plenty of references to the Super Mario universe kept audiences content. Although the movie didn’t push too many boundaries with its storytelling, its happy animations and tone were what many of the older audience members were looking for with this release.
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