Upcoming Movies Based On Video Games To Keep On Your Radar

Despite what the people who still refer to all forms of gaming as "playing Nintendos" would have you believe, video games are a medium filled with rich storytelling, compelling characters, dynamic performances, and high-stakes situations. It's no wonder that Hollywood has been desperate to get a slice of that magical (and profitable) pie, to mixed results. Video game movies range from the terribly bad (yet beloved for their badness) like "Super Mario Bros." and "Mortal Kombat," to legitimate successes like "Detective Pikachu" and "Sonic the Hedgehog." The "Resident Evil" film franchise is one of the most successful series across the globe, regardless of how anyone feels about their quality, and with the increasingly cinematic stylings of action-adventure, horror, and fantasy games, Hollywood has been quick to develop more film adaptations of video games than ever before. 

There's a staggering amount of video game movies currently slated for release or in development, and we've wrangled together everything you need to know about the impending boom of video game adaptations.

Resident Evil: Welcome To Racoon City

This newest "Resident Evil" film comes from writer/director Johannes Roberts, best known for 2018's "The Strangers: Prey at Night," "47 Meters Down," and its sequel "47 Meters Down: Uncaged," and is promising to be a faithful adaptation of the games, serving as an origin story for the "Resident Evil" cinematic world. From the official "Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City" synopsis:

Returning to the origins of the massively popular "Resident Evil" franchise, fan and filmmaker Johannes Roberts brings the games to life for a whole new generation of fans. In "Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City" once the booming home of pharmaceutical giant Umbrella Corporation, Raccoon City is now a dying Midwestern town. The company's exodus left the city a wasteland ... with great evil brewing below the surface. When that evil is unleashed, a group of survivors must work together to uncover the truth behind Umbrella and make it through the night.

"Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City" will be released in theaters on November 24, 2021.

Uncharted

In this action adventure film from Ruben Fleischer ("Zombieland," "Venom," "Gangster Squad"), the film version of "Uncharted" is set to be a prequel to the video game series of the same name from Naughty Dog. From the Sony Pictures synopsis of the film:

Based on one of the best-selling, most critically acclaimed video game series of all time, Uncharted introduces audiences to the young street-smart Nathan Drake (Tom Holland) and showcases his first treasure hunting adventure with wisecracking partner Victor "Sully" Sullivan (Mark Wahlberg). In an action-adventure epic that spans the globe, the two go in dangerous pursuit of "the greatest treasure never found" while also tracking clues that may lead to Nathan's long-lost brother.

"Uncharted" hits theaters on February 18, 2022.

Sonic The Hedgehog 2

The blue blur is back after the smashing success of "Sonic the Hedgehog" with a highly-anticipated sequel. Director Jeff Fowler returns with a script from Pat Casey, Josh Miller, and John Wittington and brings new beloved game characters, Knuckles and Tails, into the fold.

After defeating Dr. Robotnik and banishing him to a planet full of mushrooms, Sonic is ready for more freedom, as Tom and Maddie agree to let him stay home while they go on vacation. However, Dr. Robotnik, now known as Dr. Eggman, returns from the mushroom planet with a new partner, Knuckles, in search of an emerald that can give the power to build and destroy civilizations. Now, Sonic and his newfound friend Tails embark on a journey to find the emerald before it falls into Robotnik's hands.

"Sonic the Hedgehog 2" is due in theaters April 8, 2022.

Borderlands

First announced all the way back in 2015, "Borderlands" is an upcoming American science fiction action comedy film directed by Eli Roth and starring Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, and Jamie Lee Curtis.

From the official synopsis:

Lilith, an infamous outlaw with a mysterious past, reluctantly returns to her home planet of Pandora to find the missing daughter of the universe's most powerful S.O.B., Atlas. Lilith forms an alliance with an unexpected team – Roland, a former elite mercenary, now desperate for redemption; Tiny Tina, a feral pre-teen demolitionist; Krieg, Tina's musclebound, rhetorically challenged protector; Tannis, the scientist with a tenuous grip on sanity; and Claptrap, a persistently wiseass robot. These unlikely heroes must battle alien monsters and dangerous bandits to find and protect the missing girl, who may hold the key to unimaginable power. The fate of the universe could be in their hands – but they'll be fighting for something more: each other.

"Borderlands" has completed filming, but currently does not have a release date other than dropping in theaters sometime in 2022.

Untitled Super Mario Bros. Movie

Good news, we're getting a Super Mario Bros. movie. Bad news? Charles Martinet who has been voicing Mario since 1992 is being replaced by a celebrity voice actor, in this case, Chris Pratt. Fortunately, the rest of the voice cast looks like an absolute dream come true with Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach, Charlie Day as Luigi, Jack Black as Bowser, Keegan-Michael Key as Toad, Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong, Fred Armisen as Cranky Kong, Kevin Michael Richardson as Kamek, Sebastian Maniscalco as Spike, and Charles Martinet as ... someone that isn't Mario. Little has been revealed regarding the plot, but Universal is set to release the film in theaters on December 21, 2022.

Films In Production

The sequel to the Alicia Vikander-starring "Tomb Raider," "Tomb Raider: Obsidian" from writer/director Misha Green was delayed due to COVID-19, but was set to begin filming sometime in 2021.

Considered by many to be one of the greatest video games ever made, the monumentally popular "Minecraft" will soon be getting the movie treatment. The live-action Swedish-American film is being directed by Peter Sollett ("Freeheld," "Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist") from a screenplay by Allison Schroeder ("Hidden Figures," "Christopher Robin"). Originally slated to be released on March 4, 2022, the release date is now unknown due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Although no release date has been announced, Oscar Isaac has been confirmed to star in the film version of "Metal Gear Solid," from "Kong: Skull Island" director Jordan Vogt-Robert. Sony And PlayStation Productions are currently in the process of making a "Ghost of Tsushima" movie with Chad Stahelski of "John Wick" fame in the director's chair.

The Tom Clancy spin-off "The Division" is coming to Netflix, with Jake Gyllenhaal and Jessica Chastain both set to star. Rawson Marshall Thurber ("DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story," "We're The Millers," "Skyscraper") was hired to direct, but production has yet to begin.

A film that feels like it's been in development hell forever, the popular survival horror game "Five Nights and Freddy's" was originally slated to have Chris Columbus direct the Blumhouse pic, but as of September 2021, Columbus is no longer directing. However, producer Jason Blum says the project is still happening.

Hopefully We'll Get These Films?

The following video games have all had rumblings regarding film production, but whether or not they'll go into fruition is unknown. Prepare yourselves, it's a long list.

"Just Cause," "Mega Man," "Rabbids," "Yakuza," "CrossFire," "Saints Row," Watch Dogs," "Dante's Inferno," "Just Dance," "Space Invaders," "Deus Ex: Human Revolution," "Heavy Rain," "Devil May Cry," "Half-Life," "Portal," "Splinter Cell," "Gears of War," Call of Duty," "Kane & Lynch," and "Ghost Recon" have all at some point had film version announcements made, but there isn't a lot of information known regarding these titles at this time.

Additionally, "Detective Pikachu 2" is up in the air as Pokémon currently has a live-action series in the works at Netflix, and despite the Johnny Cage teaser at the end of "Mortal Kombat," no official sequel announcement has been made.

Read this next: The 12 Best Video Game Movies Ranked

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