The Super Mario Bros. Movie and 5 games that should be turned into films
If you’re a Mario fan, 1993 was a huge year. That's because it was the year we got Super Mario Bros., the first movie based on Nintendo’s beloved series. Notoriously, this film was so bad that fans have waited thirty years for Nintendo to take another shot at Mario on the big screen. That shot is finally here in the form of The Super Mario Bros. Movie. People have died waiting for this thing, so it has high expectations, to say the least.
Though The Super Mario Bros. Movie has done pretty well at the box office and is now the highest-grossing video game adaptation ever, the critical reviews have been mixed. However, everyone can agree it’s better than the first movie! With so much money on the table, I wouldn’t be surprised if we start seeing more video game adaptations. Here’s my list of five video games I’m begging the studios to turn into films.
1. Metroid
Who doesn't love Samus? She’s a badass alien-busting bounty hunter with a cool suit. As one of Nintendo’s classic franchises, I’m surprised we haven’t seen this on the silver screen yet. This movie would make a great sci-fi epic, especially if it had a cool The Mandalorian feel. I could easily imagine Jennifer Lawrence or Brie Lawson in the starring role of Samus, but I also think Game of Thrones star Gwendolyn Christie or even an unknown might work just as well.
2. God of War
With the success of series like The Mandalorian and The Last of Us, the Lone Wolf and Cub trope is hot. It’s the perfect time for a father-and-son fantasy epic involving the gods of old. I definitely think the new Kratos would serve as a better film protagonist than the original. Although I love a good revenge quest, something tells me going around and sacrificing innocent people and creating havoc as the Ghost of Sparta, as seen in the original games, wouldn't sell as much in Hollywood as Kratos the father figure.
3. Metal Gear Solid
Metal Gear Solid would make for an intense action-packed spy epic flick. Think something along the lines of Jason Bourne or Mission: Impossible, but with more cardboard boxes. The plot would be the most important piece to nail for a Metal Gear Solid movie. It would be really easy to turn this into a big-budget action movie that we’ve seen a hundred times, so it would need to be distinct. Nevertheless, there’s definitely something in the series that can be adapted to the big screen. We just need the right team to handle it.
4. Life is Strange
This episodic game from Square Enix may not be as popular as Metroid, God of War, or Metal Gear Solid, but it would make a perfect film adaption. The narrative follows a girl named Max who gains the ability to rewind time after witnessing the murder of her friend and deals with some pretty interesting moral questions. The fact that it has a smaller fan base only makes me think that it stands to earn even more attention with a theatrical release compared to any other game on this list.
The Last of Us
How about a movie to go with the million other ways Last of Us has been presented to us? No, I’m completely kidding. If you’ve read my latest piece on Last of Us, we need to step away from this franchise for a while. NO MOVIE.
5. The Legend Of Zelda
Yes, I put another Nintendo property on this list, but Link is so iconic. How could we not have a theatrical release? With the financial success of Mario, Nintendo is definitely going to start looking at other titles to turn into cash cows, and I can think of nothing better than The Legend of Zelda. It's got a classic good vs. evil story line, dungeons, monsters, a princess, and all the cool things that make moviegoers foam at the mouth.
Gone are the days when we could only expect crappy video game adaptations in film and TV. With so much quality out there and so many titles yet to see theatrical releases, I’m excited to see what the future holds for video games and the silver screen.
💬 What other games deserve a theatrical release? Let me know in the comments!
Mentioned games
View all
