Introduction
With the announcement of The Sims movie, the drop of the long-awaited Minecraft teaser, and the recent release of the Borderlands movie, it’s safe to say that video game adaptations are the current hot topic in Hollywood.
Video game adaptations aren’t new, quite the opposite. However, with the advances in gaming technology and countless new titles being released every year to huge anticipation, it’s no surprise to see the film and TV industries clamoring for the piece of the video game pie.
That’s by no means to say that every piece of the pie is created equal. Take the A Minecraft Movie teaser, which has received mixed reactions from critics and millions of fans of the game:
Now Minecraft is just the latest in a long line of video game adaptations, and certainly won’t be the last, with many more projects being announced on an ongoing basis. Since 1993’s Super Mario Bros, the first movie of its kind, video game adaptations have been held either in high esteem or have completely flopped with few in between.
In today’s article, we’ll see which adaptations leveled up the original material on which they were based, and those which bombed and made us want to shout “game over!”.
Of course, we’d love to hear your best and worst picks! Head on over to our social media pages to share and join in the conversation.
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For now, let’s hit ‘Start’ and take a look at the adaptations that we always return to, those where we audiences didn’t think were worth a respawn and why. From The Last of Us and Sonic the Hedgehog to Assassin’s Creed and Doom, it’s definitely a mixed bunch!
Leveling Up | Why some Adaptations Work
Game adaptations are not exempt from competing against the traditional film and television releases each year. With new material being continually released on countless streaming platforms, they are subject to the same scrutiny as their traditional counterparts, now being exposed to a whole new audience much larger than the one they’ve become accustomed to in the game world.
So just how have some adaptations broken into the mainstream? Let’s find out!
Staying true to the source material
The Last of Us | Naughty Dog/HBO (2023-Present)
With a viewership of 30 million across the entire first season, The Last of Us was the most popular show on HBO since Game of Thrones. An adaptation of a game of the same name developed by Naughty Dog, the show starring Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsay as Joel and Ellie, mainly stayed true to its original source material.
By sticking with the game’s original storytelling and developing existing characters, the creators appealed to the established fan base, who already had a certain level of expectation. The rich source material, including extensive cut scenes tying the game play into the story, would have given the show writers a clear baseline from which to work.
It also cannot be ignored that one of the game’s writers and directors, Neil Druckmann, came on board to develop the series, contributing valuable insight and perspective from the game development process. Druckmann’s co-writer, Craig Mazin, was also a huge fan of the original game. Mazin told GQ magazine that he created the series “as a fan”.
It’s this approach from a fan’s perspective and understanding the fan sensitivities to such an already popular game, that made The Last of Us so successful.
Of course, there was room for some development, with Episode 3 of Season 1 extending the story of Bill, one of the minor characters in the game. We meet Frank, someone we don’t meet in the game, and the two of them form a romantic relationship.
This is a great example of an adaptation that takes the source material and builds on it for the sake of the narrative. Fans responded extremely favorably to this particular episode, excited about learning more about Bill and his seemingly cold exterior.
Listening to feedback from fans
Sonic the Hedgehog | Sega/Paramount Pictures (2020)
With the third installment in the Sonic movie series set for release in December 2024, it’s hard to believe it had a rocky start.
When the first trailer dropped for Sonic the Hedgehog in April 2019, it was met with a huge backlash from fans of the original game, mainly for the protagonist’s appearance. Sonic was deemed as looking too humanoid and not like the game at all, with the music used in the trailer seeming completely off: “Gangsta’s Paradise” hardly seemed like the appropriate choice for a blue hedgehog. It didn’t fit the tone at all.
Instead of just plowing on anyway, Sonic’s creators went back to the drawing board with the character’s design. Alongside a complete recut of the trailer, the new Sonic was unveiled to audiences in November of the same year, to a better reception.
They even switched around the music and included a brief screen grab from the original pixel-art game at the start, which re-grounded the movie in its source material.
However, Sonic did fall short in critic reviews when it came down to the screenplay. Some critics, like Matt Goldberg at Collider, felt the story wasn’t ambitious enough, and stuck too much to the source material.
That formula is fine for what it is, and it gets the job done here, but I wish the filmmakers had taken a bigger, more imaginative swing than settling for just using the Sonic IP, stuffing him into a one-size-fits-all narrative, and calling it a day.
The attention to detail throughout the movie, however, was highly praised, from the inclusion of the Sonic rings in place of the Paramount stars in the opening, to staying true to the character movements, expressions and vibe.
Sonic the Hedgehog is a lesson for all game adaptations in how to utilize and listen to an existing fan base. If the creators hadn’t gone back and redesigned Sonic, who knows what could have been…
Involving creators who are fans of the game
Fallout | Bethesda Game Studios/Amazon MGM (2024-Present)
Following The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, the Fallout series is the second highest streamed show in the history of Amazon Prime.
Since the release of Fallout 3 in 2008, the game studios Bethesda had received multiple requests to adapt the game for television, with the concern that the director’s vision would completely overwhelm the original source material, especially with the failure of the Doom film just a few years before.
It wasn’t until Jonathan Nolan approached the studio with a clear vision that Bethesda was persuaded to give an adaptation the green light. A huge fan of the original games, Nolan was given free rein to create an original story, as long as the show stayed true to the game series.
While the show doesn’t follow the storyline of the games, which allows players to decide their own path, its tone and use of characters and factions from the game world, sealed its eventual popularity with existing fans. It also garnered a whole new generation of fans, with the player base increasing by 160% following release.
Bethesda’s reluctance to give the go ahead to Fallout’s adaptation is ultimately what saved it. By setting clear parameters for Nolan and his team, they were able to ensure the game was adapted in a way that respected the source material and served the fans.
Game Over | Why some adaptations fail
It’s possible for some adaptations like Sonic the Hedgehog to overcome initial criticism – it narrowly missed out on this list! But what happens when a film or show completely flops?
Divergence from the source material
The Witcher | CD Projekt/Netflix (2019-Present)
The Witcher is a unique example, as it’s an adaptation of the original series of novels by Andrzej Sapkowski, first published in 1990, and the subsequent video games, the first of which released in 2007.
Following the premiere of the first season in 2019, Forbes described the show favorably. Reviewer Paul Tassi pointed out that the adaptation was clearly based on the plotlines from the video games rather than the books.
I understand that at its core, Netflix’s series claims to be adapting the original books by Andrzej Sapkowski. While that is where it has gleaned most of its plotlines, the fact remains that the show is essentially a live-action adaptation of a bunch of characters that 40 million people have gotten to know from the video games, as that’s the total sales of the Witcher series, last I checked, which almost certainly outpaces the books. 40 million have met Geralt, Yennefer, Triss, Ciri, Dandelion and others through the games, with only a portion of them having read the books.
With most of The Witcher’s fan base viewing the series as gamers rather than readers, it made sense for the show’s creators to cater to their expectations.
This all seems very positive so far, doesn’t it? So, what happened?
As the popularity of the show grew, so did viewers’ awareness of the source material. After reading the books and then comparing them to the show, it became abundantly clear that it was moving further away from the original story lines and tone.
It’s well known that the star of the series, Henry Cavill, became extremely frustrated with the direction the plot lines were going. His character, Geralt, was being portrayed as one- dimensional, as discussed by Isaac Williams for CBR:
Netflix’s The Witcher depicts Geralt as a much more laconic individual, often for comedic effect. The show doesn’t balance out his moments of gruffness with his moments of insight and intelligence as well as the books do. Notably, Henry Cavill has gone on the record and pushed back against this depiction of the character.
Cavill became so disillusioned that he has now stepped away from the project altogether, taking many fans with him. Liam Hemsworth is set to take the helm for the final season. Poor guy, he’s certainly got a job on his hands!
Lack of fan connection
Super Mario Bros. | Nintendo/Buena Vista Pictures (1993)
Not to be confused with the most recent installment starring Chris Pratt, Super Mario Bros. was the first of its kind and seemed more like a novelty at the time.
Criticized for its lack of story, the film lacked the tone of the video games, with the jokes falling flat and apparent visual overload that just didn’t land well with audiences.
You can forgive Super Mario Bros. to an extent, as it was the first game adaptation ever made, potentially relying too much on the worldwide phenomenon it already was. The fact it was live action and lacked the animated charm of the games ruined it for fans.
It was redeemed by the 2023 reboot, which used colorful animation to bring the beloved pixelated characters to life. It ended up being the highest-grossing animated film of the year, engaging many younger fans who have been introduced to the game since the original film’s release.
It just goes to show, fans can make or break an adaptation.
Not all adaptations are created equal
Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves | Wizards of the Coast/Paramount Pictures (2021)
Technically, Dungeons and Dragons is a tabletop role playing game (TTPRG) and has been the template for many ground-breaking video games, such as the Baldur’s Gate series. However, it’s been the subject of many adaptations for a long time.
From the original 1980s animated series to the 2000 movie, which was described as “cheap and badly directed”, and the 2021 reboot, attempts to adapt the source material have always been met with mixed reactions.
The very nature of many video games allows players to make their own decisions based on a set of choices. The Fallout adaptation does this well, for example, depicting familiar scenarios and characters that players would encounter in the game.
D&D takes this to another level, with players creating their own stories based on a huge set of rules. Homebrewing is also popular, with the ability to forge character backstories and new worlds within the D&D rules.
The sticking point with film adaptations such as Honor Among Thieves is that while it stayed true to the source material and familiar characters, and added a smart comedic flair, which viewers responded well to, D&D players are used to rolling the dice for themselves and making key decisions that affect the story and their character. It’s a very personal experience, which a film can’t always replicate.
In essence, this is where many failed game adaptations have fallen flat. A failure to engage with the existing audience and appreciate the nuances and connections they have with the source material.
Minecraft: Game Over or Level Up?
Based on what came before, will A Minecraft Movie level-up in the standing of game adaptations, or will it be game over? Will it stay true to the game as the bestselling game of all time? Will it lack ambition? Will fans like the approach? Are the filmmakers in touch with what makes Minecraft so beloved?
Only one way to find out… but we don’t have a time machine, so I guess we’ll have to wait until April 2025 to find out. Watch this space!
In the meantime, we’d love to know what games you’d like to see adapted next? What are your top best and worst adaptations? Head on over to our socials and join the conversation!
If you fancy trying an adaptation for yourself, Celtx can handle all your screenwriting tools and needs.
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