How Video Game Adaptations Are (Finally) Getting It Right!

Video games are filled with incredible stories and characters that we know and love, so it’s no wonder that studios and producers have sought to bring their magic to the big and small screens. While not every attempt has been a success story, we’re entering a time where game adaptations are not only succeeding but topping the charts.

It all began May 28, 1993, when Super Mario Bros. starring Bob Hoskins and John Leguizamo hit theaters to, let's just say, less than enthusiastic results. It was the first time a game had ever been reinterpreted and brought to film, and it's safe to say that there was a TON of liberty taken with the source material. While it has since developed something of a cult following -- and for some bizarre reason I personally can’t help but love the movie -- this twisted alternate world of the Mario brothers was a box office flop.

Now, compare that to The Super Mario Bros. Movie 30 years later, which absolutely blew through the box office ceiling, shattering the record set by Frozen 2 for the biggest global opening for an animated film and grossing over $1 billion worldwide. By leaning into the source material and the wonderful world of colorful characters cherished by so many, it resonated with fans across generations and flung the doors wide open for the possibilities of bringing game worlds to theaters. It exposed a deep hunger in audiences to faithfully experience the games and characters they know and love in new formats.

And theaters aren’t the only space where gaming adaptations are finally beginning to thrive. Streaming services have begun to realize the possibilities and are putting their best foot forward with successful shows based on games adored by fans. "The Last of Us", developed by Naughty Dog LLC and Iron Galaxy Studios, was brought to life by HBO in 2023 and became a breakout success, averaging nearly 32 million views per episode. At the time, it became HBO’s most watched show ever in Latin America and Europe. Staying passionately true to its source material in its first season, showrunner Craig Mazin even said in an interview regarding Season 2, “I am not going past the game.”

Similarly, Amazon brought the smoldering world of the beloved Fallout games to life with their 2024 adaptation starring Ella Purnell, Aaron Moten, and Walton Goggins. Scoring 94% on Rotten Tomatoes, the show has been praised for capturing the dark comedic absurdity of a post-apocalyptic world tinged with a retro 1940s flair.

One thing has become clear on the road of adaptations: faithfulness to the source material is a major key to success. There’s a reason why certain games garner the lifelong admiration of players from around the world, some even defining entire generations. When reimagining such cherished material, it’s imperative to remember what made it so iconic in the first place.

Looking ahead, a God of War movie from Sony Pictures is on the horizon, and Nintendo has already begun the production of a live-action Legend of Zelda movie set to release in 2027, with Wes Ball (Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, Maze Runner) directing. Zelda especially is in the upper echelon of fan favorites and a delicate subject few dare to touch. However, if done with care and respect to the source material, it could open the doors to even bolder endeavors to bring our favorite characters and worlds to the big screen!