8 video-game movies in the works after 'Uncharted'
Travis Clark
- The video-game movie "Uncharted" topped the box office over the weekend.
- Other game-based movies are coming soon or are in the works.
As Hollywood looks to supercharge streaming services, more and more video games are getting the TV treatment, from Netflix's "Assassin's Creed" to HBO's "The Last of Us."
Game-based movies, on the other hand, have a long history of commercial and critical failure.
But while the latest video-game movie "Uncharted" flopped with critics, receiving a 40% Rotten Tomatoes critic score, it's off to a solid start with audiences. It has a 90% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes and it topped the box office over the holiday weekend with $51 million.
"Uncharted" and other recent game-based movie hits like "Detective Pikachu" and "Sonic the Hedgehog" suggest there's still gas left in the tank for big screen video-game adaptations. At least, that's what Hollywood is hoping, as a handful of high-profile video-game movies are coming soon or are in the works.
They include "Sonic the Hedgehog 2," which hits theaters in April; Sony's "Ghost of Tsushima," and a "Beyond Good and Evil" movie for Netflix that's based on the 2003 Ubisoft game.
Below are eight upcoming video-game movies, in alphabetical order:
"Beyond Good and Evil"
An adaptation of Ubisoft's 2003 game "Beyond Good and Evil," about a photojournalist who uncovers an alien invasion, is in the works for Netflix.
It will be directed by Rob Letterman, who made another recent video-game movie, "Detective Pikachu," as well as animated movies like "Monsters vs. Aliens" and "Shark Tale."
"Borderlands"
"Hostel" director Eli Roth is making a "Borderlands" movie based on the Gearbox and 2K game of the same name, about a group of "Vault hunters" in search of the infamous "Vault" that contains alien technology. It's in post-production and is set to be released by the studio Lionsgate. Cate Blanchett is starring.
"Ghost of Tsushima"
Sony is developing a movie based on the 2020 PlayStation exclusive game "Ghost of Tsushima," about a samurai warrior defending his home during the Mongol invasion. Chad Stahelski, who directed the "John Wick" movies, is set to direct.
"Just Dance"
A "Just Dance" movie was announced in 2019. Ubisoft Film and TV, a division of the gaming company Ubisoft, confirmed to Insider that the movie about the video game is still in the works and that the company is developing an idea with producer Will Gluck, who directed the "Peter Rabbit" movies. The movie is set up at Sony's Screen Gems.
"Metal Gear Solid"
"Metal Gear Solid" is in the works from Sony and "Kong: Skull Island" director Jordan Vogt-Roberts, with Oscar Isaac set to star as the character Solid Snake. Details have been limited, but Vogt-Roberts has been trying to get the movie off the ground for several years. At the gaming conference E3 last year, the director described his vision as wanting to "create a new type of action on screen that also is based in the quietness of the stealth" of the games.
"Sonic the Hedgehog 2"
Paramount's "Sonic the Hedgehog" was one of the biggest movies of 2020 with $149 million domestically and $320 million worldwide. It was released before theaters were shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic. It's also the highest-grossing video-game movie of all time at the US box office. On April 8, Paramount will release the sequel to theaters.
"Super Mario Bros."
Animation studio Illumination and gaming company Nintendo are making an animated "Super Mario Bros." movie. The voice cast includes Chris Pratt as Mario, Charlie Day as Luigi, Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach, Jack Black as Bowser, Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong, and Keegan-Michael Key as Toad.
"Tomb Raider" sequel
A sequel to 2018's "Tomb Raider" reboot, starring Alicia Vikander as Lara Croft, is in the works. Few details have been announced, aside from Misha Green, the creator of HBO's "Lovecraft Country," stepping in to direct last year.
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