Hollywood Thinks There’s Life in Video Game Adaptations

Steve Barton |

Apr 24, 2011

Source Name:

Variety

Source Url:

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118035749?categoryid=4076%26

Post Thumb:

/apr11/reop1.jpg

Video Games Why is it so damn hard to turn a great video game into an excellent movie? So many excellent franchises have been adapted for the screen in what can consistently be labeled as lackluster efforts. To be fair, it sounds like Hollywood is as baffled as we are when wondering where these films go wrong … and they’re certainly not planning to stop trying any time soon.

Variety tells us that Hollywood is working on adaptations of several popular video games – including a big budget Mortal Kombat reboot from Warner Brothers. Other genre games in various cinematic planning stages are BioShock, Dead Space and Dante’s Inferno (where the literary major in me cringes and dies a little) and, of course, Rampage!

One project I’m cautiously optimistic about on the gaming front is the upcoming Tomb Raider restart. SquareEnix/Eidos are promising the game will be heavy with survival elements – and some horrific scenarios tossed into the mix. GK Films is planning a cinematic re-launch of the franchise to likely coincide with this tent pole comeback game, and I’d love to see Lara Croft have a much darker, spookier adventure on the big screen this time around. Hopefully all the creative parties will recognize it can get scary out in those ancient tombs and send a few jolts our way. They kind of missed that opportunity on their first try …