Going to the movies is one of humanity’s favourite pastimes activities. Regardless if you’re into the theatre and popcorn experience or the Netflix and chill variant, movies are some of the most popular forms of fun in the world. They’re great for when you’re alone or with friends, family, your better half or in any other form of company. They’re great on a bus, trains, planes, and so on.
Movies share a similar level of popularity with video games when it comes to entertaining people over the weekends or after a long Monday. Which this one is. And while the rule is, the movie comes out, the game follows, and sometimes things happen the other way around. Not a lot of times but when it does, it is an event worth looking into. Many video games are “movie-able”.
Movies From Video Games
Super Mario Bros was the first movie to come out after a popular video game. With the Mario franchise, this movie was a hit pretty much everywhere it was played, reaching almost $40 million in box office revenue. That, for a 1993 movie, is a lot of money. Street Fighter came out in 1994, grossing almost $100 million in cinema revenue, followed by Mortal Kombat in 1995.
The latter grossed $124 million, a complete hit with everything movie from a video game for that period of history. In general, movies that come after video games follow a basic rule: they have to be made about extremely popular games, otherwise, there’s not a lot of chance for a certain title to make it to the box office, and then gather crowds. The more popular a title, the better.
Ten Movies That Were Video Games First
When a movie turns into a video game, it’s somewhat normal. You’ve got the recent transformation of Harry Potter’s franchise into Hogwarts Legacy, or the not-so-recent but still recent Elden Ring launch based on the Lord of the Rings franchise. Here are ten movies you should see if you’re into video games.
Warcraft (2016) - Although we were promised a Part II, so far Warcraft - the movie has been operating solo. Launched in 2016, the World of Warcraft-inspired film talks about the lives of humans and orcs, who now have to work together towards eliminating a common evil: the warlock Gul'dan and his dark magical power named the Fel. With this power, the warlock is able to keep a portal open between two worlds, raiding the living with the dead and wreaking havoc among Azerothians. With not many powers left to combat this evil, the two sides who'd otherwise be at war unite, in an attempt to put their differences aside and fight Gul'dan and his Fel powers. The movie is a cinema transposition of the famous Warcraft universe. One of the most famous games ever made, World of Warcraft is almost 30 years old and still going strong, with millions of players still active today.
Assassin's Creed (2016) - Inspired by the famous franchise, this movie is a mixture of "Let's do it right" and "It's good enough". Filming began in late August 2015 and concluded in January 2016. Assassin's Creed was released by 20th Century Fox on December 21, 2016, in the United States and then in France shortly afterwards. It mostly received bad reviews from critics, a good number of them aimed towards the plot and writing. Yet some considered it an improvement over previous video game film adaptations. The film did badly at the box office as well, grossing just $240 million worldwide. This was just a little under double its $125 million budget.
Need for Speed (2014) - The plot of this particular movie is a little obvious. Tobey Marshall, a former race car driver, now owns his late father's garage, Marshall Performance Motors, in Mount Kisco, New York. He and his friends tune performance cars here and are struggling to make ends meet. After hours, he and his crew participate in street races. After one of the races, Dino Brewster, one of Tobey's old enemies, conscripts them into completing the build of a rare Ford Shelby Mustang. From here on, the movie starts twisting its plot to the point where the entire production turns into a circuit of sorts, with many bumps and turns and bruises. Made after the famous NFS series, this movie is a must for racing games fans.
Max Payne (2008) - As far as interesting movies made from games go, Max Payne is a classic. In this one, Max Payne is a detective assigned to the NYPD Cold Case Unit. After losing Michelle along with his infant daughter Rose, in a gruesome murder, Max has been consumed by the urge to find the killer of his family. He comes under suspicion from the NYPD when Natasha, an acquaintance of one of Max's informants, is brutally murdered and Max's wallet (which she had stolen) is found at the crime scene. From here on, the movie follows the regular twist and turns any film would. Max Payne is still an incredibly popular series of games, with the latest launched in 2012.
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010) - Few people haven't heard about this true classic. In fact, this franchise has early roots, as it started with a game that we all played more than 30 years ago, the 1989 Prince of Persia 1. "The Sands of Time" was both a gaming and movie success. The film launched in 2010 and follows the story of Dastan, a street urchin from Persia. He is adopted by King Sharman after showing courage. During the action, the young fugitive prince and princess have to stop a villain who unknowingly threatens to destroy the world with a special dagger. The dagger enables the magic sand inside to reverse time.
Hitman (2007) - If you're familiar with the game's story of this particular series, you're all good. Just skip the description and go and find the movie somewhere online. If you're not... Get ready to step inside a heavily guarded facility, where a group of young boys are given tattoos of bar codes on the backs of their shaved heads. Then, they are trained in weaponry, demolition, gunless combat, stamina, strength and more, simply to become professionally trained hitmen. The movie starts in the present, with Interpol agent Mike Whittier (Dougray Scott) arriving home and confronted by Agent 47. The two discuss 47's life as a professional hitman, made to be one by a group simply known as the Organization.
Tomb Raider (2018) - We've picked this particular Lara Croft adventure simply because it has grossed a ton of money and is one of the most popular. This movie has grossed close to $275 million. After the sudden disappearance of her father, Lara Croft struggles to make it as a bike courier. She even gets arrested after she crashes into a police car. Lara hopes her father is still alive, but someone warns her that if she does not claim her inheritance, the family estate, Croft Manor, will be put up for sale. Lara accepts the deal but discovers a secret chamber in her father's tomb. There, she finds a pre-recorded video message from Richard, telling her all about his findings into Himiko, the mythical Queen of Yamatai. Himiko is said to command the power over life and death.
Rampage (2018) - In the movie "Rampage" (2018), a genetic experiment goes awry, causing three animals to mutate into monstrous, city-destroying creatures. Primatologist Davis Okoye (Dwayne Johnson) teams up with genetic engineer Kate Caldwell (Naomie Harris) to find a way to stop the creatures and save Chicago. Along the way, they encounter government agents with their own agendas and must fight to protect the innocent people caught in the crossfire. With heart-pumping action and incredible special effects, "Rampage" is a thrilling adventure that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end. The movie is made with grave inspiration from the famous Midway developer, who launched plenty of games on the topic from 1986 until 2009, along with Warner Bros. Entertainment until today.
Detective Pikachu (2019) - In "Detective Pikachu," a young man named Tim (Justice Smith) teams up with a talking Pikachu (voiced by Ryan Reynolds) to solve the mystery of his missing father. Set in a world where humans and Pokemon coexist, Tim and Pikachu navigate the bustling city of Rhyme City, meeting a cast of colourful characters and uncovering a sinister conspiracy along the way. With stunning visuals and plenty of humour, "Detective Pikachu" is a fun and exciting adventure that will appeal to both Pokemon fans and newcomers alike. Pokemon is one of the most famous and most-played games in the entire history of the industry. It sold more games than most other series, including Mario and other popular titles. Pikachu is the most famous pocket monster of them all.
Uncharted (2022) - Based on one of the top games of recent times, ”Uncharted” is a mystery-solving and treasure-hunting phenomenon. The game has grossed over 50 million for its fourth title of the series. The movie? Over $400 million! In the movie, adventurer Nathan Drake (Tom Holland) sets out to uncover the truth behind a legendary treasure and follows in the footsteps of his ancestor Sir Francis Drake. Along the way, he teams up with a wise-cracking partner named Sully (Mark Wahlberg) and must navigate dangerous terrain, face off against ruthless enemies, and solve puzzles to uncover the treasure's secrets. With thrilling action sequences and a charismatic lead performance from Holland, "Uncharted" is a pulse-pounding adventure that is sure to please fans of the popular video game series it is based.
Three Video Games Inspired By Movies
We’re now more familiar than ever with good movies coming out of video games. Some of them are the ones you’d expect, such as Warcraft, Detective Pikachu or Tomb Raider. But we’ve also noted some uncommon ones, such as Uncharted or Rampage, which are not that famous to all masses. Yet the usual way this goes is the other way around. Games are the ones that come after the movies, in most cases. Here are three successful games inspired by great films.
The Thing (2002) - A survival horror game based on the 1982 movie of the same name, The Thing was developed by Computer Artworks and published by Vivendi Universal Games. The title follows the story of a group of scientists who are stationed in a remote Antarctic research facility. The scientists soon discover that an alien life form has infiltrated the facility and is taking over the bodies of their colleagues. The player takes on the role of Blake, a soldier sent in to help the scientists and combat the alien threat. With intense gameplay and a gripping storyline, The Thing delivers a thrilling and terrifying experience for fans of the horror genre.
X-Men: The Official Game (2006) - A third-person action game based on „The Last Stand”, this title was developed by Z-Axis and published by Activision. The game features a storyline that runs parallel to the events of the movie, with players taking on the roles of Wolverine, Iceman, and Nightcrawler as they battle the Brotherhood of Mutants. With the ability to switch between characters and use their unique powers and abilities, the game delivers a thrilling and cinematic experience for fans of the X-Men franchise.
Avatar (2009) - Developed by Ubisoft Montreal and published by Ubisoft, the game is set in the lush world of Pandora and follows the story of a Na'vi warrior named Aku as he battles against the RDA Corporation and defends his people's homeland. Players can explore Pandora's stunning landscapes, ride on the backs of creatures, and use a variety of weapons and abilities to defeat enemies. With an original storyline and immersive gameplay, the Avatar video game delivers a thrilling and authentic experience for fans of the film and the sci-fi genre.