The article discusses the increasing trend of video game adaptations in Hollywood, highlighting that four high-potential game IPs, including Baldur's Gate 3, remain unclaimed for film or TV adaptation, with industry analysts seeing strong potential for these titles in live-action formats.
The new trailer for Sonic the Hedgehog 3, featuring Keanu Reeves as Shadow, has been released, exciting fans with its promise of action-packed scenes and new character appearances. Paramount Pictures cleverly marketed the trailer by distributing Sega Genesis cartridges with hidden release details. The film, set to release on December 20, will see Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails battling Shadow, with potential appearances from other fan-favorite characters like Metal Sonic, as teased by director Jeff Fowler.
The successful adaptation of the video game "Fallout" into a TV series on Amazon Prime Video reflects a new approach in Hollywood towards game adaptations. Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer and showrunner Jonah Nolan highlighted the importance of creative trust and collaboration between game creators and TV producers. This adaptation, which has garnered significant viewership and critical acclaim, exemplifies a generational shift where decision-makers are more familiar with gaming culture, allowing for more authentic and engaging adaptations. The success of "Fallout" and similar projects like "The Last of Us" underscores the potential for video games to expand into other media.
Netflix is developing an animated Minecraft series featuring an original story and new characters, produced by WildBrain Studios. This announcement comes amid a surge in video game adaptations, with Netflix already involved in numerous similar projects.
The Fallout TV series has sparked controversy among gamers for potentially deviating from the game's established canon, but the show's strength lies in its ability to expand beyond the boundaries of lore and tell a compelling story. Actor Walton Goggins, who plays a key role in the series, emphasizes the importance of having a fresh perspective unbound by the need to honor specific aspects of the game's story. The show effectively utilizes the rich world of Bethesda's Fallout games as a springboard to explore complex character dynamics and moral alignments in a post-apocalyptic setting, demonstrating that a good adaptation is driven by an honest voice focused on storytelling rather than strict adherence to canon.
Todd Howard, head of Bethesda Game Studios, initially rejected the idea of adapting Fallout into a TV series for a decade before finally finding the right creative partners. While the Fallout TV series has received positive reviews, Howard remains hesitant about adapting other Bethesda properties, such as Elder Scrolls, stating that he'll probably say no, but acknowledging that one can never predict the future. The show explores the Fallout world in new ways, including depicting the pre-nuclear past, and is now available for streaming on Prime Video.
The success of the Super Mario Bros. Movie has led to a significant increase in sales for Nintendo's Mario game series, with 6.22 million units sold between April and September. The impact of the movie's success was seen across older Mario titles, indicating a widespread boost rather than just new releases. Nintendo's president confirmed the positive impact of the movie on game sales, and with the recent release of Super Mario Wonder, which has already become one of the fastest-selling Mario games, it is expected that sales will continue to rise. Nintendo is now looking to replicate this success with a live-action Zelda project.
Sega is looking to expand the success of its Sonic franchise beyond video games by adapting other IPs into movies, TV shows, and other mediums. The company has hinted at reviving other classical Sega IPs and mentioned Persona and Yakuza as potential adaptations. Sonic the Hedgehog's recent movie and TV outings have been successful, grossing millions at the box office. Sega is also exploring partnerships with Lego and Roblox to further expand its IPs. Additionally, Sega is developing its first "Super Game" project, which aims to go beyond the traditional framework of games.
Peacock has released the first trailer for its live action comedy series based on the popular PS1-era vehicular warfare simulator Twisted Metal. The show stars Anthony Mackie and Stephanie Beatriz and follows a journey across a post-apocalyptic wasteland. The first season premieres on July 27th and consists of ten episodes. This is part of Sony's plan to bring its big gaming franchises into other media, including Horizon Zero Dawn, Gran Turismo, and God of War.
SEGA has acquired Rovio for $775 million, leading to speculation about future video game adaptations of popular cinematic characters and SEGA's desire to keep up with Nintendo. Longtime SEGA fans are excited about the addition of Rovio's IP, and SEGA is expected to make similar offers to other mobile gaming giants.
Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of Mario and other Nintendo games, has teased the possibility of future Nintendo movies featuring different characters from the company. Following the success of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which has grossed $748.7 million worldwide, Miyamoto noted that there are various ways to develop characters for the screen, including those that are more suitable for movies than others. He urged fans to keep an eye on Nintendo's next production.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie has become the most successful global opening ever for an animated film, overtaking Frozen 2, and is likely to remain the highest grossing film of 2023. The movie functions as an advertisement for the games, drawing audiences back to its original products. The success of the film offers insight into future corporate strategies for video game adaptations, but few, if any, will replicate what this one has done. Ultimately, The Super Mario Bros. Movie is for the children and its success is a testament to the profound and inalterable effect that games have had on world culture in the past 30 years.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie has received a 54% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes, but a 98% audience score. The author suggests that movie critics may be out of touch with video game adaptations, while TV critics have a better sense of them. The article provides examples of TV shows and recent video game movies with close critic and audience scores. The author argues that the opinions of movie critics may not matter in this case, as the movie is likely to be a lot of fun and make a lot of money.
Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda, discusses the upcoming animated film adaptation of Super Mario Bros. with Chris Meledandri, CEO of Illumination. Miyamoto explains the importance of capturing the player experience in the film and the challenges of adapting video games to movies. The film, which stars Chris Pratt as Mario, marks the character's return to Hollywood 30 years after the franchise's live-action film adaptation bombed at the box office. The film is set to release on April 5.
The second episode of the Resident Evil 4 anime has been released, depicting the game's plot in a family-friendly art style. The anime serves as a charming advertisement for the upcoming RE4 remake, which has already received a 10/10 review from GameSpot. The success of HBO Max's The Last of Us has put video game adaptations in the spotlight, and RE4's anime is a humorous and enjoyable example of the genre.