It was the legendary, and late, Hollywood screenwriter William Goldman who made the perceptive comment that in Hollywood no-one knows anything. He wasn’t referring to the ignorance of the execs but the lack of actual facts that they have at their disposal.
He went on to expand on the matter by explaining that in the search for hit movies it’s often felt easiest to see what’s worked before and then try to repeat it. So back in the 70s there was a slew of disaster movies like Earthquake, Towering Inferno and The Poseidon Adventure.
Today the big studios and TV networks have started to cast their nets wider still, and video games have become a very lucrative source of original content. The links are obvious. Games themselves have a kind of narrative drive and multiple-act structure to them. They also already have devoted fans who will almost certainly pay to see them brought to life on the big and small screen – and so the box office has proven with these three examples.
Tomb Raider
One of the very first franchises to extend into movies was Tomb Raider starring Lara Croft. The first of the three movies to date was released way back in 2001 starring Angelina Jolie in the lead role. This was followed by the sequel Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – the Cradle of Life two years later. The success of the first movie which has taken over $274 million at the box office wasn’t quite replicated by the second which only took $161 million.
While this spelt the end of Jolie as Lara Croft the franchise was resurrected in 2018 with Alicia Vikander in the title role. At the box office it also generated an income of £274 million – however the increased production costs and the effects of inflation meant that the first of the movies still proves to be the most successful of them all.
As a side issue, the franchise has also found success in a series of an online slots game, a sector that also draws a great deal of inspiration from gaming.
Super Mario Bros
For many people following the adventures of the little Italian plumber was their first real experience of video gaming. For this reason he has a special place in their hearts.
However his first adventure in the movies wasn’t a totally successful one. Back in 1993 he was brought to life in a live action movie from a pair of British directors Rocky Morton and Annabel Jankel. Mario was played by Bob Hoskins and the cast also featured Dennis Hopper. The narrator was none other than Dan Castellaneta, the voice of Homer Simpson.
While the leading-edge special effects were praised, the consensus was that a weak plot and a poor script let the movie down. It was even on a number of the “worst of” lists for the year.
But, some 30 years later, the franchise was resurrected in 2023 and this time it turned into box office gold netting more than $400 million in receipts. In this animated version the voice of Mario is provided by Chris Pratt with Anya Taylor-Joy taking the role of Princess Peach. Also in the cast are Seth Rogan, Jack Black and Charles Martinet, the voice of Mario’s father from the original video game.
While the critics were quite guarded in their praise it certainly hit the mark with Mario fans – and it’s been announced that the sequel is on the way with a proposed release date in April 2026.
The Last of Us
It’s one thing taking a video game and turning it into a 90 to 120 minute movie. It’s something completely different to get not one but two TV series out of it. To then get an almost universal level of praise for it is something else entirely.
But that is exactly what the creators of The Last of Us have done.
The first season followed the narrative of the game fairly closely as it tracked the lives of characters in a post-pandemic US where a deadly fungus turns humans into zombie-like creatures. Some criticisms were levelled at the series because of the in-built spoilers this inevitably included.
It was originally planned as a movie but creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckman soon realized that it needed the pace and length of a series to do it justice – and fortunately HBO agreed.
The commercial and critical success of The Last of Us has meant that season two was quickly commissioned. Due to be broadcast in 2025 it’s going to be very interesting to see where it goes now the plot of the video has been exhausted.
Of course, there are many other movies and TV series inspired by games, and no doubt many more in production. Whether any will prove more popular or successful than these only time will tell.