Hollywood has been tapping into the gaming world heavily over the past few years, with film adaptations of arcade hits arriving in theaters by the droves. We most recently saw the profitability of movies based on video games with the record-breaking success of 2023’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie, currently the highest-grossing video game film of all time since its release just last month on April 5. The fanfare is even greater when it’s a live-action adaptation, which has been met with multimillion-dollar results in the cases of fan-favorite titles like Tomb Raider, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (minus the whitewashing!), the HBO Max reboot of Mortal Kombat and the six-film success of zombie shoot-em-up Resident Evil.
Coming soon, Sony Playstation’s popular combat racing franchise Twisted Metal will be making its way to the live-action realm by way of Peacock streaming service, with famed actor Anthony Mackie steering the wheel.
Peep the official trailer below:
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Arriving as a 30-minute-per-episode TV series, Mackie will be joined by Encanto star Stephanie Beatriz, Emmy-winning actor Thomas Haden Church, Will Arnett of Arrested Development fame, professional wrestler Samoa Joe and Scream queen Neve Campbell amongst others. Peacock describes the upcoming summer series as a “high-octane action comedy,” based on an original script by the guys that brought us similar projects like Zombieland and Marvel’s Deadpool.Read the plot details provided by Peacock below:
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“TWISTED METAL, a half-hour live-action TV series based on the classic PlayStation game series, is a high-octane action comedy, based on an original take by Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick and written by Michael Jonathan Smith, about a motor-mouthed outsider offered a chance at a better life, but only if he can successfully deliver a mysterious package across a post-apocalyptic wasteland. With the help of a badass axe-wielding car thief, he’ll face savage marauders driving vehicles of destruction and other dangers of the open road, including a deranged clown who drives an all too familiar ice cream truck.”
The plot description alone is enough to get any gamer excited, and it got us thinking of a few other iconic video game titles that would transition perfectly into a film franchise. When choosing our selections, we considered the probability of success, likeableness of characters and above all practicality of it even being possible. As Dwayne Johnson can most definitely attest, there’s a fine line between Rampage and Doom!
Take a look at 10 other classic video game titles that we’re willing to bet would be box office smashes as live-action adaptations. See if you agree:
The cinematic gameplay and plot combined is comparable to an Oscar-worthy film, so this one is a given amongst those who know. The real question is, who are we setting up for “Best Actor” success to play protagonist Solid Snake?!
2. Streets Of Rage
The original Streets Of Rage trilogy sets us up with sequels for years to come, and word is this is actually currently in production by way of Lionsgate after they purchased the film rights back in November 2022. Fingers crossed!
3. Metroid
A female heroine film set amongst a futuristic space backdrop with all sorts of high-tech weaponry? Count us in!
4. The Legend Of Zelda
Only third behind Super Mario and Pokémon in popularity over at Nintendo, Zelda would be a sure shot road to success given how positively fans have reacted to the aforementioned two.
5. Red Dead Revolver
Old Westerns will always work for Hollywood, and this R-rated masterpiece could easily be on the level of No Country For Old Men and The Hateful Eight. Let’s make it happen, chief!
6. Castlevania
As we’ve seen in the past with Blade and The Witcher, TV aficionados love a good vampire series. Castlevania is the grandaddy of them all, and would definitely give Dracula a run for his money.
7. Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell
Tom Clancy projects have always done well as film adaptations, as proven with the recent Michael B. Jordan-starring Without Remorse. Thankfully, it appears Ubisoft is developing not only Splinter Cell as a film but also Ghost Recon and a sequel to Without Remorse based on Rainbow Six.
8. Grand Theft Auto
The debauchery that could result from a Grand Theft Auto film is almost too appealing to think about. Rockstar Games, we’re begging you!
9. Crazy Taxi
With the right plot, stellar cast and proper setting — sorry San Francisco, but NYC it is! — we could see this being a well-received, action-packed comedy for the summer season.
10. Destiny
Seen as a “spiritual successor” to fan-favorite Xbox series Halo, which we *finally* saw made into a TV series last year via Paramount+, Destiny is the science fiction thriller we’ve all been waiting for. Here’s to hoping it follows in its predecessor’s footsteps.
