For decades, video game movies have been written off as soulless cash-ins, with many of them panned by film critics as well as gamers. However, the tide finally seems to be turning, with Hollywood now taking more care with its video game adaptations and producing more quality work on a more consistent basis.
With the quality of video game movies on the rise, it has made the films more exciting than they were in years past. Fans can now safely look forward to film adaptations of their favorite games without necessarily having to worry about Hollywood butchering them. And as it turns out, there are quite a few video game movies in active development for fans to look forward to that are coming out within the next couple of years and beyond.
Here are all the big upcoming video game movie adaptations.
Monster Hunter (December 25, 2020)
The husband/wife duo of Paul W.S. Anderson and Milla Jovovich collaborated on the Resident Evil movie franchise, which, despite poor reviews, remains one of the most successful video game movie adaptations to date. Now they're tackling yet another Capcom video game in the form of the Monster Hunter movie, which is set to premiere in theaters on December 25, 2020, Christmas day.
Reception to the Monster Hunter movie has been mixed so far, to say the least. While the Monster Hunter movie seems to have accurately recreated some of the gaming franchise's most-impressive monsters, fans have taken issue with its use of guns and the general plot. Not only that, but the Monster Hunter movie has stirred up quite the controversy in China, with the film being pulled from theaters for having a potentially offensive joke that some moviegoers found to be racist. This led to angry fans flooding Monster Hunter World with negative reviews, drastically lowering its user score on Steam in the process.
Whether or not American audiences react better to the Monster Hunter movie remains to be seen, but we don't have to wait too much longer to find out.
Uncharted (July 16, 2021)
The Uncharted film adaptation has been trapped in various stages of development hell for years, but it's now finally nearing release. Assuming there is no COVID-19 delay for the film, the Uncharted movie is poised to be one of the big blockbuster film releases of next summer. Marvel Cinematic Universe star Tom Holland portrays main character Nathan Drake, whereas Mark Wahlberg, who was previously expected to play Drake, is playing the role of Victory "Sully" Sullivan. The Uncharted film doesn't seem as though it is directly adapting any of the game releases, but is rather telling an original story, so it will be interesting to see how fans of the video game react to it.
Mortal Kombat (TBA - 2021)
One of the earliest video game movie adaptations was Mortal Kombat, which, while very cheesy, has developed a dedicated following. There's always been a ton of potential for a new Mortal Kombat movie to more accurately portray the video game franchise's absurd levels of violence, and now it seems that project is finally coming to fruition. Originally slated to premiere in January, the Mortal Kombat movie has since been delayed to an unknown date in 2021. Whenever it does premiere, moviegoers will have the choice to watch it in theaters or at no extra charge with an HBO Max subscription.
Resident Evil (TBA - 2021)
Considering how successful the other Resident Evil movies were, it's no surprise that another one is on the way. This new Resident Evil movie reboot is looking to be far more accurate to the games, casting familiar characters like Chris and Claire Redfield, Jill Valentine, Leon S. Kennedy, Albert Wesker, Chief Brian Irons and more, with a 1998 setting.
Quite a few Resident Evil movie reboot set photos have appeared online, with the movie currently in active production. The Resident Evil movie reboot set photos seem to have given many fans confidence that this new movie will do the games justice, as it has accurately recreated many iconic locations, including the Spencer mansion, the Raccoon City Police Department, and much more.
There are some lingering questions about the Resident Evil movie, though. Since no trailer has been released yet, it's unclear exactly how the Resident Evil movie reboot will be adapting the story from the video games. It seems to be trying to adapt both the original Resident Evil game and Resident Evil 2 at the same time, which could be tricky. Hopefully more information comes sooner rather than later, especially if the film is still expected to premiere in 2021.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (April 8, 2022)
One of the biggest video game movie success stories to date is the Sonic the Hedgehog film. Released just prior to the COVID-19 pandemic shutting down most of the world's movie theaters, Sonic the Hedgehog has the distinction of being one of the year's top-grossing movies, pulling in over $300 million at the box office. Sonic the Hedgehog also earned mostly positive reviews from critics and was a surprise hit with audiences as well, with praise given to Jim Carrey's performance as Dr. Robotnik and Ben Schwartz's performance as the titular hedgehog.
Given Sonic the Hedgehog's huge success, it makes sense that a sequel is in development, and with it aiming for an April 2022 release date, it should hit theaters without having to suffer any COVID-19 delays. Details are scarce at the time of this writing, but the Sonic the Hedgehog movie sequel will likely feature a more games-accurate version of Dr. Robotnik, as well as other characters from the series, like Tails. More official details should come to light when we get a little closer to its 2022 release date.
Super Mario (TBA - 2022)
One of the first video game movie adaptations was the Super Mario Bros. film from the early 1990s, and it set the tone for the awful video game movies that were to come. The notoriously bad film scared Nintendo away from working with Hollywood or letting anyone make movies based on its IP for decades, a stance that it is only now coming around on. In 2022, Despicable Me studio Illumination will release an animated Super Mario movie that has a much better chance of being a hit with fans, as series creator Shigeru Miyamoto is involved with the project as a producer.
Borderlands (TBA)
Gearbox Software's Borderlands franchise is popular among looter-shooter fans, and soon the game's over-the-top craziness will make its way to the big screen. Horror film director Eli Roth is at the helm of the Borderlands film adaptation, with Craig Mazin writing the script and Academy Award-winner Cate Blanchett starring as fan favorite character Lilith. It remains to be seen how closely it will follow the premise of the video games, with some reports indicating it will go in a much different direction. But fans shouldn't get too worried about the Borderlands movie plot until more information is available in an official capacity.
Detective Pikachu 2 (TBA)
Detective Pikachu paved the way for the Sonic the Hedgehog movie to light up screens with its successful video game adaptation. The original Detective Pikachu movie was praised for bringing Pokemon creatures to life, and for its sharp sense of humor, carried by a performance from Ryan Reynolds. Just like there is a second Detective Pikachu video game in development, a new Detective Pikachu film is also in the works. A variety of other Pokemon live-action movies are also expected to release in the next decade, so fans of the franchise should have plenty more to look forward to.
Five Nights at Freddy's (TBA)
Horror phenomenon Five Nights at Freddy's has caught on more than perhaps anyone expected. A massively successful franchise in its own right, the film is being backed by horror movie juggernaut Blumhouse Productions, which is working with Five Nights at Freddy's creator Scott Cawthon to bring the movie to life. The latest report on the Five Nights at Freddy's film indicates that the movie may begin filming at some point next year, so perhaps it will hit theaters in 2022 or 2023. For now, though, there is no official release date for the movie.
Metal Gear Solid (TBA)
Like many of the other films mentioned here, the Metal Gear Solid movie has been in the works for quite some time, but it's now picking up some real traction. Directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts, the Metal Gear Solid movie is looking to be faithful to Hideo Kojima's beloved video game series, with a script reportedly complete and Oscar Isaac attached to star as Solid Snake. Adapting Metal Gear Solid into a movie may be especially tricky, so it will be interesting to see if the filmmakers are able to pull it off.
Minecraft (TBA)
Minecraft is one of the world's most popular video games, and so it's no surprise that Hollywood has been attempting to adapt it into a feature film. A Minecraft movie has been in various stages of development over the past decade, with Rob McElhenney of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia fame set to direct it at one point. The movie was going to star Steve Carell and had a $150 million budget, but leadership changes at Warner Bros. saw McElhenney's Minecraft movie put on the shelf.
While McElhenney's Minecraft movie may never happen, a film based on the franchise is still moving forward, with Peter Sollett writing and directing the project. The Minecraft movie was originally set to release in 2022, but it has since been delayed indefinitely.
Tomb Raider 2 (TBA)
After some financially successful Tomb Raider movies with Angelina Jolie, filmmakers rebooted the series with 2018's Tomb Raider, taking its cues from the reboot of the video game series. The story is set to continue in Tomb Raider 2, with Alicia Vikander expected to return as Lara Croft. Production on the Tomb Raider 2 movie was delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the film's release date has been pushed back indefinitely, but it should come to light at some point down the line.