Discover the main movies and series based on video games

It is not news that cinema and series are always looking for a good story to take to the screens. The most traditional source is books, after all, they are the guardians of human history. However, the film industry is discovering stories that are already successful on screens, but through video games.

The idea of ​​a classic hero's journey with a strong main character facing challenges, monsters and villains is extremely attractive for movies and series. It is important to remember that no protagonist walks alone and almost all of them are accompanied by a faithful squire. 

In some stories, supporting characters are the unsung heroes that steal the show and win the hearts of players. Good examples of this are Revolver Ocelot, from “Metal Gear Solid”, Barry Burton, from the “Resident Evil” franchise, Tifa Lockhart, from the historic RPG Final Fantasy VII, and, perhaps the most popular of all, who became the main character in the series. continuation of the game, Ellie, from the acclaimed “The Last of Us”.

The partnership between games and cinema is not new. The first experiments started in the 90s and the path is full of ups and downs. The challenge is to find the balance between the dynamics of the game, in which whoever controls the action, and the speed of cinema, when the director dictates the pace of the story.

Movies and video games

The first adventure that hit theaters was that of Mario and his brother Luigi in Super Mario Bros. (1993). The work was not even close to the same success as the Nintendo game. In addition to the reputation of being “the first film based on a video game”, it carries the mark of being the worst adaptation of games for cinema. Used to saving the princess at the end of the story, this time Mario went down the drain.

The first hit came with the movie Mortal Kombat (1995). The famous fighting game franchise won the first round with a movie faithful to the game's story: a deadly fighting tournament in another dimension. The success of the first film paved the way for a sequel Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (1997), which did not follow the success formula of its predecessor and went to the canvas. However, the fight ensues, and Mortal Kombat has gained a reboot released on 2021.

The game with the most movie adaptations is resident evil. In all, six films are named after the famous Capcom franchise. The saga was directed by Paul WS Anderson, the same director of Mortal Kombat (1995). The story of Alice Abernathy, played by Milla Jovovich, is and has been the cornerstone of a post-apocalyptic world overrun by zombies.

Um thriller of the games that achieved success on the big screen was Silent Hill. The 2006 adaptation managed to bring the game's psychological horror atmosphere to the big screen. The story does not completely follow the script of the game, but it knew how to take advantage of the main passages of the game without getting lost in the plot. The film got a sequel, Silent Hill: Revelation (2012), but the success of the first was not repeated.

Two other films that come from video games and have been popular with the public and critics were Pokémon: Detective Pikachu (2019) e Sonic: The Movie (2020).

The live-action adventures of a talking Pikachu might seem like a bad idea at first, but the plot is light and the film delivers a fun adventure.

The story with Sonic, Sega's flagship, was similar. The film's first trailer was heavily criticized and everything indicated a complete failure, however director Jeff Fowler heard the criticism in time to change course and present a film so satisfying that it already has its sequel in production.

Series and video games

Video games are also present in the world of series, especially with the increase in audiovisual production generated with the popularization of streaming platforms. The giant Netflix bets heavily on series created from video games. Two adventures that achieved prominence on the platform were The Witcher (2019) and Arcane (2021).

When the subject is The Witcher, we can say that the series has two sources: the books by Andrzej Sapkowski and the game series developed by CD Projekt RED. The games are based on the books and success came through the video game. In streaming, the series is a total success, in such a way that with two seasons released, Lauren Hissrich, responsible for the production of the show, has already confirmed the third season and promised: “It will be great”.

the cartoon seriesArcane (2021) tells the story of two sisters who fight in a war, and the problem is: they are on opposite sides. The plot is based on the popular computer game League of Legends, better known by its abbreviation LoL. A detail that may reveal the reason for the success of the series, which ranked 1st in several countries, are co-producers Alex Lee and Christian Linke, who do double duty as they also work on the game. The second season has been confirmed and is expected to arrive in 2023.

When it comes to video game-inspired anime series, the list is long. first is Pokémon, the game developed by Game Freak for Nintendo handheld devices, conquered the world and became one of the most famous anime of all time. At the moment, Castlevania (2017), Bayonetta: Bloody Fate (2013), Fate / Stay Night (2006) e DOTA: Dragon's Blood (2021) are examples of successful transition from video game to series.

Good stories no longer find borders and move freely between the worlds of cinema and video games. The challenge remains the same: to bring an adventure that speaks directly to those who know the game and those who are getting to know it. So, why not continue following this formula and bring more video games to the big screen?