Live-action video game adaptations have had a presence in the Hollywood industry for quite some time and it can’t be said that there’s always been good blood between the two. Earlier on, there were films like Super Mario Bros (1993) and Street Fighter (1994) that have tended to deviate from the game’s original plots. Neither of the two ended up connecting with the game’s fan base or even natural movie lovers, which caused the two films to get bad reviews and leave a negative impact. This resulted in audiences being skeptical of other video game adaptations.
One of the biggest struggles of making live-action video game movies is attempting to turn an interactive piece of media that is controlled by users themselves into some film where audiences have no control over the plot whatsoever. Additionally, sticking to the game’s storyline while also adding their creative spin to it is a hard task to accomplish.
On the upside, lately the brilliant minds of writers have figured out how to conjure up wonderfully written scripts for films that are inspired by video games. It’s been seen that the industry can get over these hurdles so long as they have the right people to do so, with
HBO’s hit adaptation, The Last of Us (2023) being a prime example. Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin were responsible for the creation of the traditional video game and were also executive producers and writers for the show itself. The Last of Us TV show was a phenomenal hit for both the film and video game industry. Not only were they able to capture the essence of the game and its characters, but they were also able to create new storylines for characters we never got to get much insight about in-game.
The trend of these well-thought-out adaptations has lit a spark of hope in many for future films to come out. Video games contain complex and vigorous storylines within them that can only be handled with such care if wanted to be made into a movie, and filmmakers are starting to recognize that quality of them.
With that being said, there is a fine line between trying to appeal to the game’s original players and drawing in newer and fresher audiences. Games can be captivating sequences that can surround the players with their explorations and player choices which aren’t always translatable into live actions.
Looking at the trend of live-action video game adaptations, the future of them is really promising. That is if the people behind the cameras would continue to involve people who truly know the game in and out. If that is done, and it is done right with care and passion, Hollywood will be making pools of money. Live-action adaptations are starting to become overrated, especially with the new Minecraft movie in the works, and studios should stick to keeping adaptations to an animated format like The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) which was like a breath of fresh air from the curse its predecessor left behind.
