5 Games That Should Be Made Into Movies
There have been some downright turgid affairs dragged kicking and screaming from consoles onto the big screen in the past few decades. From the decidedly surreal Super Mario Bros to the downright painful Prince of Persia, gamers have never had it so bad. Books such as the Harry Potter series, Twilight and Hunger Games, to name but a few, have seen incredible returns both critically and commercially in some cases; why haven’t games been able to replicate the same success? The answer is simple: the wrong material has been chosen or, rather, it hasn’t been handled with the same care as the source material has for literature. Sure, books invariably make greater movies but I don’t hold the same hopes for the upcoming Shadow of the Colossus movie for example (undoubtedly one of the best examples of the ‘games are art’ movement). The following five films won’t win Oscars but they’d certainly be better than anything else that has graced theatre screens.
Max Payne 3
“I’d appeared in a film before- Mark Wahlberg was his name- it was the pain that never ended and, yet, I was craving the stage once more.”- Max Payne
The premise?
Max Payne 3 is a mighty fine game and the story would translate well to film. Max Payne travels through the hellholes and highlights of Brazil to quell a gang that has taken the family he has sworn to protect hostage. Think of it as Taken but with more tequila shots and drug references.
Who should star?
Any aging, down on their luck actor. It worked for Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler so it should work for whomever graces the screen as New Jersey’s favourite drunken ex-cop. Hell, it’d probably work with James McCaffrey in the lead role. He obviously voices Max Payne and looks like him. An unknown actor is key in films like these as they aren’t inhibited by their previous roles. Just keep Mark Wahlberg away from this.
Why would it be successful?
It has exciting locales, a gritty, appealing lead character and lots and lots of bullet time. The public may have grown sick and tired of the bullet time knockoffs after the success of The Matrix but this reboot would be more interesting and would appeal to both gamers and the public alike.
Red Dead Redemption
One man. One redemption. Red Dead Redemption (or something as corny).
The premise?
John Marston is fighting a war that no one else wants to fight: the end of the Wild West. Along the way he meets a whole set of crazy characters who either want him dead or want to help him. The Mexico portions of the game could mirror the filmography seen in Che. Using the creative license they would be little flashback portions within the overarching narrative. The ending mustn’t be changed though.
Who should star?
I’d go for Daniel Day Lewis but he would be in danger of being too typecast in that role after his success in There Will Be Blood. After Brad Pitt’s star turn in Moneyball, I certainly wouldn’t be adverse to him playing the vulnerable type looking after his family with either Nicholas Hoult (of X-Men: First Class fame) or Kick Ass’ Aaron Johnson playing Jack Marston.
Why would it be successful?
The public at large- Americans expecially- have ties to the ideals of the Frontier. Just look at the success of John Wayne’s films all the way up to There Will Be Blood and the remake of 3:10 to Yuma to see how successful Western films can be. This can put a new slant on things. This isn’t a story about cowboys riding off into the sunset but, as those of you have played the game would attest to, a story about revenge, heartbreak and ultimately redemption.
Heavy Rain
Would Heavy Rain be a little too tragic to bring to screens? It would make for a great ensemble thriller in the style of films such as Se7en.
The premise?
Man loves wife, gets divorced and then loses his kids in increasingly tragic ways (depending on how you played the game). I’d plump for ‘ordinary man, fuelled by the tragedy of his son, will do anything to stop his only remaining son from being killed by the Origami Killer’. Throw in a few of the other periphery characters and you have yourself a decent thriller.
Who should star?
Liam Neeson would be great as Ethan Mars and, being the Sherlock fanboy that I am, I’d have to squeeze Benedict Cumberbatch in as FBI Agent Norman Jayden. The rest of the cast would be made of various leading lights on Hollywood to create a great film as it would be unclear as to who was the Origami Killer if so many big names were involved.
Why would it be successful?
It wouldn’t be scared to try something different. A Heavy Rain film is already in pre-production but I’d want this to not be scared of killing off major characters and having it end in a depressing manner rather than the Hollywood schtick that will most likely be fed to us.
Uncharted 2
Nathan Fillion + Christina Hendricks + Avatar = $$$?
The premise?
Indiana Jones for a new generation, with better one-liners, sexier women, more exotic locations and a lot of lawsuits from James Cameron for the final act.
Who should star?
There’s a gaggle of actors who would be suited for the part. Nolan North and Nathan Fillion have been mooted several times other but I’d be willing to go for either Ryan Reynolds or Michael Fassbender as the cocky happy-go-lucky Nathan Drake with Christina Hendricks (hair dyed blonde) playing Elena Fisher and Chloe being played by Rose Byrne. Hey, one can dream!
Why would it be successful?
It’s Uncharted. On the big screen.
Portal 2
Pixar have never made a bad film. Why start now? This buddy comedy would be fantastic for gamers and non-gamers alike.
The premise?
This may seem like an anomaly on this list but I wouldn’t focus on GLaDOS and Chell a la 2001: A Space Odyssey but rather an animated adventure starring Atlas and P-Body as they make their way out of the recesses of Aperture Science, avoiding suicidal turrets, making friends with Companion Cubes and eventually facing off against GLaDOS or possibly a human scientist hellbent on destroying the pair.
Who should star?
As long as Pixar make the film with the visuals of WALL-E and the humour of Toy Story then I don’t care who stars.
Why would it be successful?
Portal has a loyal fanbase and Pixar would be a great match- what’s not to love? It could be a charming, buddy comedy with plenty of in-jokes to keep the gaming crowd happy and the aesthetics of WALL-E lead me to believe that something that doesn’t sound appealing could be done with real guile and finesse.
What else?
Whilst doing research for this article (which, naturally involved playing awesome games) it occurred to me that gaming is rife for pillaging in terms of great film scripts. Metal Gear Solid, God of War, L.A Noire and Mass Effect were just a handful of the ones I could have feasibly put on this list. Are there others you’d like to see make the jump to the big screen. If so: why, how and who should star in it?
