Videogames being transformed in to movies [In Depth Feature]

How videogamesare invading the big screen, again, including a comprehensive run-downof all the major titles making their way to Tinseltown.

Evenbefore Hollywood’s screenwriters went on strike, Tinseltown wasdesperate for new ideas. Having translated most popular comic bookcharacters, and even niche superheroes, to the big screen multipletimes through reboots and sequels, videogames have become the ‘newcomics’ in Los Angeles.

Despite the majority of videogametranslations tanking at the box office, including high-profile $70million potential blockbusters like Doom and everything controversialindependent filmmaker Uwe Boll has done (most recently the $60 millionstar-studded fantasy film In The Name Of The King: A Dungeon SiegeTale), Hollywood continues to license videogames in the hopes ofcapturing a global audience of gamers.

What Hollywood hasbeen oblivious to over the years, perhaps focusing more on the few boxoffice hits like Mortal Kombat, Tomb Raider, Resident Evil, Hitman andSilent Hill than the dozens of financial failures, is that gamers canbe particularly demanding consumers. While it’s relatively easy tomarket even a bomb into an interesting premise through a 30-secondtrailer, gamers comb the web for every piece of information on new gamereleases. That’s the reason bad games don’t become blockbusters, buthorrible movies do break $100 million at the box office.

“The competition for intellectual properties that have any sort of market recognition is clearly fierce.”Thesesame gamers who are so wary of spending their £40 on a new game aren’tabout to throw away £7 on another shoddy videogame translation. “Youneed these kids to come in on a film’s opening Friday, because they’retexting their friends right after the movie and you no longer haveuntil Sunday,” says Michael Cerenzie of CP Productions, which isproducing the Joust and Area 51 videogame-inspired movies. But thingsare changing in Hollywood, at least according to the producers involvedin some of the upcoming videogame adaptations – and there are dozens ofthem coming soon to a cinema near you (assuming the writers’ strike isresolved and that Hollywood’s actors and directors don’t strike in Junewhen their contracts are up).

“Thecompetition for intellectual properties that have any sort of marketrecognition is clearly fierce,” says Scott Faye, producer of the MaxPayne and Alice videogame adaptations. “If a game’s relativelysuccessful, you know you can get the attention of that fanbase, and ifyou broaden the film you stand the chance of at least not failingrelative to expectations and budget and many other things. Videogameshave matured, and it’s an incredibly viable medium now for films. Asgames become more narrative and character-centric, there are fewerpeople in Hollywood studios that can look at a game and say: ‘Great,but where’s the movie?’”

Just as gaming has become aglobal business, topping $17.9 billion (£9 billion) in the US in 2007and nearing $40 billion (£20 billion) worldwide, more Hollywoodwriters, directors, producers and studio executives who have grown upgaming have assumed positions of power. In addition to findingHollywood more receptive to games as source material for filmfranchises, the belief goes that these producers are more endeared tothese gaming properties and less likely to butcher them into plotlessaction fodder.

“There is nothing more boring than seeinga movie that is a straight adaptation of a videogame,” says Paul W SAnderson, who has had box-office success with Mortal Kombat andResident Evil films. “A lot of hardcore gamers complain that videogamemovies don’t stick exactly to the games, but frankly that would not bean enjoyable experience because if you’ve already played the game youknow what’s going to happen.”

It also helps thatHollywood has a short memory when it comes to box-office duds like DOA,Doom and BloodRayne. “No disrespect to DOA, but for me DOA was notreally a movie and it was only released on 500 theatres,” says AdrianAskerieh, producer of Hitman and the upcoming Spy Hunter and Kane &Lynch movies. “Doom had a damaging effect for a limited time two yearsago, but movies like Hitman and Resident Evil Extinction are reallyhelping more games head to the big screen. When you look at Prince OfPersia being made at Disney with Jerry Bruckheimer, I think we areabsolutely in a new era for videogame movies. We’re entering thatperiod of time like comic book movies did following the success ofX-Men and Spider-Man, where AAA videogame movies are now being made.”

StuartBeattie, who wrote the screenplay for New Line Cinema’s adaptation ofEpic Games’ Gears Of War, believes it’s just a matter of time before avideogame movie hits the jackpot. The original Tomb Raider has comeclosest, so far. “Hollywood likes to do what’s proven,” explainsBeattie. “They’ve already proved that books work, and plays can work,and recently that comic books can work. But they’ve yet to have a filmbe as successful as, say, Spider-Man, that’s based on a videogame. Wehad the same thing with Pirates Of The Caribbean. They didn’t want tobase a film from a theme-park ride. But now that it’s done and it’sbeen successful they’re looking for what other theme-park rides couldpossibly work as films.”

Many eyes are looking at PrinceOf Persia to serve as that potential blockbuster that will definevideogame movies and catapult the genre into a legitimate contender.Jerry Bruckheimer, who’s not a gamer, went straight to the source afteracquiring the rights to the franchise and teaming up with Disney toproduce a trilogy of movies. He hired the creator of the game, JordanMechner, who had no previous background in writing movies, to tacklethe script. Mechner paints a picture of Bruckheimer as a very hands-onproducer who’s involved in every aspect of his films.

“Really,the process of making a videogame and making a movie are similar,although the scale of the movie is a lot bigger, in terms of theresources, the number of people, and the amount of money that getsspent,” says Mechner. “Still, both the movie and the videogame are teamprojects. They both use highly skilled, trained craftsmen and thesuccess of a project really depends on everything coming together andfiring on a lot of cylinders at once.”

Bruckheimer thinksthat, whether a film is based on a videogame or theme park ride, “it’salways telling a great story and having great characters – it’s all thesame. It’s all about creating interesting characters, a wonderful plotand story and engaging an audience. That’s the key to all of it.”

Muchlike the Pirates theme-park ride allowed Bruckheimer and his creatorsto run with new story ideas and develop a trilogy, many videogamesoffer that freedom to screenwriters and directors. Comic book scribeGrant Morrison, who wrote the script for Paramount Pictures’ Area 51adaptation, enjoyed translating Midway’s sci-fi game to film.

“The videogame adaptation allows writers to create new contemporary
screen heroes for the 21st century.”“Videogameprotagonists tend to be badass military cyphers, assassins and thugs;adapting them to the big screen can be more interesting to a writerthan adapting someone else’s Spider-Man or Batman, where the heroes’personalities are established,” says Morrison. “The videogameadaptation allows us [writers] to create new and more contemporaryscreen heroes for the 21st century while still enjoying the safety netof an established franchise.”

With Hollywood and gameadaptations going strong in both directions, as more game studioslicense movies and TV shows for the same reason movie studios acquirevideogame rights, the two forms of entertainment are inspiring oneanother.

“Films like 300 and Sin City are doing a reallyartistic approach to storytelling,” says Cos Lazauras, vice presidentof production at Halcyon Games, which is turning the new Terminatortrilogy of films into games. “That becomes very inspirational to thegaming community, who for the most part are big movie fans, and thatopens up all sorts of different ideas and concepts of the imaginationin general. So I do think that the film space drives game design andconcepts in games are inspiring Hollywood. Even when the two industriesweren’t together and collaborating, they inadvertently were kind ofdriving each other without knowing it.”

That inspirationwas evident to anyone who read reviews of 300 before it became aninternational sensation. Many movie critics, the majority of whomwouldn’t know a game controller from their elbow, complained that thefilm’s writer, director and producer Zack Snyder’s film looked like avideogame. But Snyder, who’s an avid gamer, realizes the vastdifferences between the two competing forms of entertainment.

“Atfirst, people in Hollywood were like: ‘Games and movies are the same’,”he explains. “The gameplaying experience is different from a movie.Kids who play videogames like to watch movies. And people who watchmovies like to play videogames, but they’re like lunch and dinner. Theyinform the other thing, but they don’t replace it. A game can besupplemental to a movie or vice versa, but the idea of recreating thegaming experience in a film doesn’t translate.”

Withbig-budget movies in the works based on everything from Max Payne toThe Sims, Hollywood isn’t about to abandon the potential cash cow thatgames can provide. What remains to be seen is whether these new filmswill learn from the mistakes of the past.

Next: Games coming to movie theatres near you soon.

Alice
Basedon American McGee’s take on Alice In Wonderland, Sarah Michelle Gellaris no longer officially attached to this film, but Universal is.
Talent: Producer Scott Faye and director Marcus Nispel
Release: TBA
Prospects:The dark game found a niche PC audience, but Faye is refining thefilm’s script to appeal to a larger audience and feature a youngerAlice.

Alone in the Dark II
ChristianSlater, Tara Reid and Uwe Boll are removed from this direct-to-DVDsequel, although Boll produced. Writers/directors Michael Roesch andPeter Scheerer focus on a witch-hunt in this film, which will looselytie in to the new Atari game.
Talent: Rick Yune, Lance Henriksen, Rachel Specter and Jason Connery
Release: May
Prospects:Boll films do well on DVD, which prompted this low-budget sequel’sgreenlight. Skipping the cinema’s probably not a bad idea.

Area 51
Based on Midway’s sci-fi firstperson shooter franchise, Paramount Pictures has big plans for this action flick.
Talent: Comic book writer and artist Grant Morrison
Release: TBA
Prospects: Although the Blacksite: Area 51 game tanked, this film has Independence Day potential if done right.

BloodRayne III
Withsales of the straight-to-DVD BloodRayne II: Deliverance still goingstrong, Uwe Boll plans a third and final movie set in World War II.
Talent: Boll will produce and direct, and says he’d like a new actress as Rayne
Release: 2009
Prospects:With each film in this trilogy taking on a different time period, thisDVD should find its audience. It will also be interesting to see thefilm tie in to the original game.

Castlevania
After the success of Silent Hill, Konami’s bringing another key franchise to the big screen.
Talent: Paul W S Anderson is on board to write and produce
Release: 2009
Prospects:With the right talent this translation, which involves the Belmont clanand Dracula, should appeal to the massmarket, and has blockbusterfranchise potential.

City Of Heroes
NCSofthas had great success with its City Of Heroes and City Of Villainsfranchise, and these videogame superheroes are now heading to the bigscreen.
Talent: Transformers producer Tom DeSanto plans a trilogy of films based on the hit superhero MMO.
Release: 2010
Prospects:Superheroes are hot in Hollywood and so are videogames, and this killercombo should have big names attached thanks to DeSanto’s backing.

Driver
After several failed starts, this film is currently in the garage for yet another script tune-up.
Talent: Impact Pictures’ Paul W S Anderson and Jeremy Bolt have been sitting behind the wheel of this franchise for a long time.
Release: TBA
Prospects:Depending on what happens with Vin Diesel’s The Wheelman, there’spotential for this adaptation, but Ubisoft will need to reinvigoratethe game franchise as well.

EverQuest
Sony Pictures is exploring the big-screen potential for Sony Online Entertainment’s key
MMO franchise.
Talent: A big-name producer is developing this project, according to SOE president John Smedley
Release: TBA
Prospects:EverQuest has a loyal following of gamers around the globe and thisfantasy MMO could become a Lord Of The Rings-type franchise for SonyPictures.

Gears Of War
Epic Gameshas already topped Halo in the movie licensing game, as Gears Of Warhas a studio in New Line Cinema and a completed script.
Talent: Stuart Beattie (Pirates Of The Caribbean) delivered the script and a director is currently being sought.
Release: 2009
Prospects:With a Gears Of War game sequel expected this year, this franchise willonly grow its international audience. The potential for a successfulfilm franchise, buoyed by Beattie’s script, is strong with Epic’sproperty.

Getting Up
Although MarcEcko’s game flopped, Paramount Pictures and MTV Films have optioned afilm version focused on the graffiti action tale.
Talent: Writers Sean O’Keefe and Will Staples have completed the script about Trane’s adventures.
Release: TBA
Prospects:Marc Ecko has his non-gamer fashion following and MTV Films will bepromoting this film to its young target demographic, which means themovie shouldn’t flop like the game.

God Of War
Witha lack of Sony synergy, Sony Pictures looked past Sony ComputerEntertainment’s interactive juggernaut and allowed Universal to cash inon this Greek action monster.
Talent: David Self (Road ToPerdition) has finished the script and game creator David Jaffe has hiseye on Djimon Hounsou as Kratos.
Release: TBA
Prospects:Universal Pictures has a number of videogame movies in the works, andthis best-selling game franchise, which has a new PS3 iteration on theway, is its biggest – especially post-300.

Joust
‘Gladiatormeets Mad Max’ in this future action flick that reinvents the classicarcade game and is set in Las Vegas 25 years from now.
Talent: Producers Michael Cerenzie and Christine Peters have a completed script by Marc Gottlieb.
Release: 2009
Prospects:With a new comic book, the movie and a new game from Midway, Joustcould be the first classic game to succeed on the big screen.

Kane & Lynch
With the success of Hitman, Lions Gate has fast-tracked this film, acquiring it even before the game shipped to poor reviews.
Talent: Producer Adrian Askerieh has a completed script by Kyle Ward
Release: 2009
Prospects:Even negative reviews of the game talked positively about the greatstory concept, so this could work as a buddy action movie.

Max Payne
Filming in Toronto this winter, after nearly ten years Max Payne is finally heading to the big screen.
Talent: Producer Scott Faye, director John Moore, writer Beau Thorne, and Mark Wahlberg in the title role.
Release: 2009
Prospects: Wahlberg has a loyal fan following and can be a solid actor, which should bring depth to this gritty action film.

Metal Gear Solid
Followingits Silent Hill movie, Sony Pictures is once again working with Konamion one of the most anticipated videogame adaptations outside of NeillBlomkamp’s currently ‘dead’ Halo adaptation.
Talent: None confirmed
Release: TBA
Prospects:If the right talent is assembled in front of and behind the camera, andthis film is made with North American movie-goers in mind, it could bea huge hit. Then again, any film that exactly follows the storylines ofany of the games would most likely bomb.

Mortal Kombat Devastation
This film is supposed to be a reboot of the franchise, rather than the third film in the series.
Talent: Producer Larry Kassanoff and his Threshold Entertainment company have been behind all things Mortal Kombat.
Release: TBA
Prospects:After the original film was a hit, the sequel tanked, but gamers arestill getting new games every year from Midway. This film has thepotential to draw an audience, if only out of curiosity.

Onimusha
Capcom’stime-traveling warrior tale is set to film in China with the man whotranslated the dark Silent Hill for the big screen.
Talent: Producer Samuel Hadida, director Christophe Gans, screenwriters Leslie Kruger and John Collee
Release: December 2009
Prospects:The $70 million budget should go a long way filming in China, and thegame series has a strong following around the globe.

Postal
UweBoll wrote, directed, produced and stars in this movie, which hasalmost nothing to do with Running With Scissors’ controversial shooter.
Talent: Dave Foley, Zack Ward and Verne Troyer star in this comedy
Release: June 2008
Prospects:At screenings and film festivals around the world, this film hasdivided audiences down the middle. They either love it or hate it. Witha much lower budget than In The Name Of The King, Postal at least has abetter chance of recouping its costs.

Prince Of Persia
Jerry Bruckheimer has gone from theme-park pirates to videogame princes and brought Disney Pictures along for the ride.
Talent: Producer Bruckheimer enlisted game creator Jordan Mechner to write the script.
Release: TBA
Prospects:Bruckheimer knows blockbusters, and Mechner’s involvement should ensuregamers enjoy this action flick as much as mainstream audiences. Disneyhas already signed on for a big-screen trilogy, and Ubisoft has newgames in the works.

The Sims
After a TV series never panned out, Electronic Arts has licensed its best-selling game franchise to 20th Century Fox.
Talent: Producer John Davis has enlisted screenwriter Bryan Lynch to bring The Sims to the big screen.
Release: TBA
Prospects:The Sims certainly has its global following, as well as the largestfemale gaming base of any game series, but turning it into a successfulmovie won’t be as easy as EA’s game take on Fox’s hit The Simpsons.

Spy Hunter
AfterJohn Woo came in, changed the script and left, it looks like The Rockmay finally be getting behind the wheel of the Interceptor.
Talent: Producer Adrian Askerieh, writer/director Paul W S Anderson, and Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson
Release: 2009
Prospects:Universal Pictures wants this to be its own James Bond-style franchisewith The Rock in the driver’s seat. With a big budget, the time beingtaken on this project should help avoid another Doom.

Street Fighter: Legend of Chun-Li
Capcomis allowing Hyde Park Entertainment and 20th Century Fox to handle themovie work this time around with this new action flick.
Talent: Director Andrzej Bartkowiak, screenwriter Justin Marks, and actress Kristin Kreuk as Chun-Li
Release: 2009
Prospects:In what could be a new fighting franchise, Capcom has taken one of itsmost popular characters and built a film around her. Given the successof its Resident Evil movies, this should be anything but StreetFighter: The Movie II.

World Of Warcraft
LegendaryPictures will spend over $100 million on this fantasy epic based onBlizzard Entertainment’s ten-million selling MMO game.
Talent: Producer Thomas Tull
Release: 2009
Prospects:Set a year before the game’s timeline and featuring a new character asits hero, this blockbuster only needs a fraction of those ten millionpaying subscribers to fork out some money for a ticket to become thebiggest game translation of all time. And it has a never-ending streamof sequels waiting from the MMO world.