Hit delete and reset on everything you know about video game movies. Trust me I know we’ve all had the same disappointment when Hollywood all but murdered the nostalgic memories you had with Mario Bros., Mortal Kombat and oh god Resident Evil. But there are a few titles coming out next year that may not suck.
The Angry Birds Movie
Basing a movie on a series of puzzle games where you shoot birds at pigs may seem a bit ridiculous but the latest trailer from Sony Pictures seems to be on point. By using a game franchise that doesn’t already have its own storyline set in, leaves scriptwriter Jon Vitti who has written for Ice Age and The Simpsons to create something of his own, compared to trying to adapt an original storyline that audiences are already familiar with. The film also has some notable actors including Peter Dinklage, Jason Sudelkis, Bill Hader and Danny McBride. The movie is set to be released on July 16th 2016.
Five Nights At Freddy’s
Five Nights At Freddy’s is basically the video game equivalent of Paranormal Activity but with much better game lore. The video game series became a cult hit on its release in August last year, with the game sequel expected to be out this Halloween. In the game, players control a lone security guard who watches various TV monitors in an abandoned, fictional version of a Chuck E. Cheese restaurant that just so happens to be haunted by killer animatronic animals. Right now Warner Bros is in production with game creator Scott Cawlthon as well Gil Kenan from Monster House and City of Ember.
Borderlands Movie
Lionsgate announced earlier this year that they’ve obtained the rights to create a Borderlands movie. For those of you that have played Borderlands as well as the recently released Tales from the Borderlands from Telltale Games, will know exactly how incredible the story of this FPS game is. Taking place in the land of Pandora the Borderlands movie “will be made with the same in-your-face attitude that has made the series a blockbuster franchise” says Lionsgate.
Ratchet and Clank
The iconic PlayStation game Ratchet and Clank has been around for years, bringing to life hilarious, action-packed, family-friendly gaming on a number of PlayStation’s Consoles. This CG animated movie features the wrench-wielding Lombax Ratchet and his metallic sidekick Clank, together these unlikely heroes struggle to stop an evil alien named Chairman Drek from destroying every planet in the galaxy. Ratchet and Clank developer Insomniac Games has been heavily involved in the movie, the inclusion of longtime Ratchet voice actor James Arnold Taylor is another sign that this movie is serious about adapting the game in the best way possible. The movie is set to be released on April 29th 2016.
Assassin’s Creed Movie
Ubisoft begins their foray into the world of movies with Ubisoft Motion Pictures and their breakout title Assassin’s Creed. Based on the video game series about a secret organization of assassins that are at war against the Templars. Starring Michael Fassbender aka Young Magneto, the film will have a “completely different” story from the games but is expected to feature many of the same themes and concepts of the Assassin’s Creed game says writer Scott Frank.
Warcraft Movie
Based on the novel Warcraft: The Last Guardian and the most popular MMO of all time World of Warcraft, Warcraft the movie is set to be released on June 10th 2016. The Warcraft universe has an extremely complex and elaborate storyline and game lore. It’s a monumental task to adapt this game series to film, but director Duncan Jones looks to have done just that. Heavy on CGI characters, huge high-fantasy landscapes and sprawling battles, Legendary Pictures seems confident that it has a winner on its hands.
The Last Of Us
The Last of Us video game from Naughty Dog is an emotionally gut-wrenching roller coaster of feels that had me crying from the prologue. It’s fairly unlikely that the film can improve on the perfection of the game’s storyline but there is hope, as the director is Neil Druckmann, the game’s creative director. Also on board is Game of Thrones star Maisie Williams who is being cast as Ellie, as for Joel the studio is looking at Dylan McDermott or Hugh Jackman.
