The video game adaptation is definitely in vogue right now. The Last of Us, Super Mario Bros., Sonic the Hedgehog, Fallout, and so many others have recently been brought to the big (or small) screen. The Legend of Zelda, God of War, Metal Gear Solid, and more are planned to join them in the near future.
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Just like with comic book adaptations, there is an endless backlog of possibilities. So many games could be turned into a movie or television show. Not all of them should be, but with the ever-growing frequency, it’s clear that there’s a demand, so these games should be first up for consideration.
5. Call of Duty Zombies
Hear me out: there is a really good story buried in the lore of Call of Duty Zombies. It has gotten unwieldy and convoluted with the last couple of releases (which is saying something, given how convoluted it already was), but there’s a really fun, interesting narrative to be plucked out.
For the sake of this idea, the storyline should probably be capped after Black Ops III, which was probably the right idea for Treyarch in the first place, since Revolutions acts as a really nice closing point. Nevertheless, a writer with a keen eye and good narrative skills would be able to easily trim the fat and come up with a really nice adaptation.
Since it features zombies and other unrealistic things, animation might work better, but it would have to be in a really unique style. The “animation” of the games is lifelike (albeit dated), so everything would need to be a little bit more cartoonish to really stand apart. Otherwise, live action could work as well.
4. Grand Theft Auto
It is a bit surprising that Grand Theft Auto has never been adapted into a movie or anything. It’s probably the single most iconic video game franchise out there. Everyone, even people who’ve never picked up a controller, has heard of it.
There are also endless possibilities here. GTA could adapt any one of the five (soon to be six) mainline releases and other games. They could also take the Fallout approach and set it in this universe, but tell an original story. Either way, there’s definitely a prestige crime thriller or character drama to be had here, and Rockstar is just seemingly sitting on it.
3. Super Smash Bros.
Would a movie based on a fighting game be any good? Probably not. Would it work by combining the existing (or soon-to-exist) IPs that have hit the big screen, like Sonic the Hedgehog, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, The Legend of Zelda, and Metal Gear Solid? Not at all.
But there could still be a Super Smash Bros. movie of some kind. It wouldn’t be tied to any universe, and it wouldn’t have to be all that good. The bar is pretty low with the Mortal Kombat movies. It would also probably be easiest just to use Nintendo characters, so licensing and rights don’t provide barriers. It would be an absolute blast of a film, but it is probably a pipe dream.
2. Fortnite
Look, if they can make a Minecraft movie, they can make a Fortnite movie. Though it’s not as if A Minecraft Movie (that’s the official title) was anywhere near good, nor did it even follow the bare-bones “story” the game has, a Fortnite film could.
For a long time, really through Chapter 5, there was a somewhat coherent storyline going on surrounding the Zero Point. Much like the CoD zombies movie, this adaptation would require a really skilled writer to pluck out the important bits to follow the story of the Fortnite island and all its lore.
Alternatively, they could just use Fortnite characters and landmarks in a battle royale sort of movie, watching a squad of four try to navigate and win a match. That’s a pretty bland idea, but someone more creative could absolutely come up with something interesting along those lines.
1. Red Dead Redemption 2
The single greatest story ever told in a video game deserves to be shown to the widest audience possible. Red Dead Redemption 2 is the top narrative, but it is only one half of the story, so this would be perfect as a two-season television. The only question is whether or not the studios follow the same order and make one a prequel or tell it chronologically.
Either way, it’s a huge shock that no one’s picked up the Red Dead Redemption franchise yet for an adaptation. It has among the most cutscenes in any video game ever, so it’s really set up well for an adaptation. That, and it’s an easy-to-understand story that doesn’t necessarily have to exist only in one format.
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Image Courtesy of Big Finish Productions.
