Video games are hard to make into movies. Sure, there are a few good video game movies, but one Tomb Raider doesn’t make up for Prince of Persia, Mortal Kombat, etc. There are so many great video games in the world, with more created every week, that it’s a shame that we haven’t had an amazing video game movie yet. Here are some video games that we think would make awesome movies (or TV shows, if a studio feels so inclined).
Legend of Zelda
Let’s ignore the really awful kids cartoon from a few decades ago. With the success of Breath of the Wild, there’s no better time to create a game that focuses on Link (or Linkle), Zelda, and Ganondorf’s seemingly endless struggle. With all of the story material from the Zelda series, there’s tons of material to work from. What this movie needs, though, is a talented director who will balance the characterization with amazing action sequences. Our pick? Patty Jenkins, hands down.
Uncharted
This is a bit of an unfair pick, as Tom Holland is going to be starring in an adaptation this game. Despite that, however, we’re pulling for the film. It’s taken a while for Sony to get this film off the ground, and Holland’s casting as the younger version of Drake may be the kick in the pants this adaptation needed. We’re not holding our breath, but we will keep our fingers crossed.
Half-Life
Not all video game adaptations need to be action films – horror films work just as well (if not a little bit better). Half-Life could make an amazing horror film, provided that the director focused on recreating the terrifying creature designs that the game is known for. (Is Guillermo Del Toro free?) Plus, the lack of dialogue adds to the film’s weirdness and tone.
Starcraft
Okay, okay – here me out. Yes, Warcraft was awful and fans deserved better, but isn’t the best opportunity for that with a Starcraft film? There’s a lot more leeway with alien races when you have the whole universe at your disposal. Focusing on the special effects and on having a solid story (culminating in a large final battle, of course) would give this movie enough opportunity to succeed where Warcraft didn’t.
Final Fantasy IX
One of the strongest games in the Final Fantasy series, Final Fantasy IX has one of the most interesting stories of all the games. There’s a lot to unpack – political intrigue, royal deception, mystical powers, hidden identities, etc. – and the roster of weird characters makes this ripe for the picking. We see this as more of a television series than a film, due to the density of the story, but we’d be happy with whatever form of Vivi we got to see on screen.
Fruit Ninja
I’m kidding, but Hollywood isn’t! Hollywood is legitimately developing a film about the Fruit Ninja video game. Yikes.
