Video game adaptations, whether in movies or television, don’t have the best track record, to say the least. Much like movie tie-in video games, big-screen versions of our favorite games got a reputation for consistently missing the mark, often failing to impress both existing fans and general audiences. Luckily, the landscape nowadays is quite different. The Last of Us is a hit television show on HBO, we’re now three sequels deep into a Sonic the Hedgehog film franchise, and there’s much more on the way. When people talk about the “golden ages” of various entertainment genres, it’s often in retrospect, as if a period of greatness must pass before it’s recognized. On the topic of video game adaptations, however, it’s pretty easy to see that the golden age has already begun.
A Very Bumpy Start
To really appreciate the quality of modern movies and TV shows based on video games, we simply need to look a few decades in the past, back to 1993 in specific. That year, the first major movie based on a game was released: a live-action version of Super Mario Bros., starring Bob Hoskins as Mario, John Leguizamo as Luigi, and Dennis Hopper as Bowser. It was an utter trainwreck and complete bastardization of the beloved Nintendo title, so much so that most movie studios swore off video game movies for years thereafter.
Further attempts at video game movies proved equally fruitless into the 2000s, and although profit could be found with flicks like Lara Croft: Tomb Raider and Resident Evil, excessively bad stinkers like Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, BloodRayne, and Far Cry kept video game movies in the muck. It wasn’t until the 2010s when films like Need for Speed, Warcraft, and Pokemon Detective Pikachu felt like worthwhile movies rather than poorly made slop. After years of growing pains, video game movies were slowly starting to find their stride, as Hollywood dipped back for remakes of Tomb Raider, Mortal Kombat, and more. Though perspectives may vary, this is roughly when the golden age of game adaptations started, but the success required some sacrifice.
Hollywood's Latest Craze
In 2019, Avengers: Endgame wrapped up the first “saga” in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and soon after, the superhero craze started to fade. Likewise, premiere television shows like Game of Thrones had come to an end, and for a minute there, the filmmaking industry seemed a bit lost. Everyone was searching for the “next big thing”, and in 2023, the answer fell into their lap. Nintendo released a new animated Super Mario Bros movie, and it grossed over $1.3 billion dollars. A television show based on Sony’s ultra-depressing thriller The Last of Us hit HBO with massive acclaim. Hell, even the Twisted Metal show, found only on the “Peacock” streaming service, was pretty good. One final “test” came with the Fallout television show in 2024. Pitched as an “original story” set within the sprawling post-apocalyptic universe, skepticism was high, but putting the nail in the proverbial coffin of doubt, Prime Video’s Fallout was just as faithful, cinematic, and high-quality as HBO’s The Last of Us. Somewhere, alarm bells in Hollywood must have started to ring.
Even if we’re not in a “golden age” by virtue of quality, it’s hard to deny just how popular and plentiful game adaptations are becoming, especially now that studios are eager to greenlight and fund new projects. In 2025 alone, four theatrical adaptations are expected, including A Minecraft Movie, Until Dawn, Mortal Kombat 2, and Five Nights at Freddy’s 2. Video game television remains relevant as well, with The Last of Us Season 2 being one of the most anticipated shows of the year. Looking forward, it’s also incredible just how big the industry is betting on this new era of game adaptations.
Currently, there are over 50 video game movies in various stages of pre-production, including sequels in established franchises, big-name blockbusters, and some oddly unexpected projects. It’s not a huge surprise to see series like Days Gone, The Legend of Zelda, Portal, or Metal Gear Solid getting theatrical treatments. Weirder projects like movies based on Comix Zone, Saints Row, and Rabbids will be interesting to see, assuming they see the light of day. Things are just as busy on the TV side, with shows in the works for games like God of War, Mass Effect, Assassin’s Creed, and even Beyond: Two Souls. No matter how you cut it, there are a lot of video game movies and television shows coming soon, and with any luck, there will be a handful of truly outstanding gems among them. In my opinion, the future is very bright for video game adaptations, provided that we avoid disasters like the Halo show or the Borderlands movie as much as possible.
