Let’s be honest. Video game television and movie adaptations are more often than not flops. However, in recent times there has definitely been better reception to them with the likes of Uncharted and even Sonic The Hedgehog doing well in the box office.
With this upward trend, here are four video game adaptations we cannot wait to catch in 2023.
- The Super Mario Bros. Movie
Based on the 1980s classic Super Mario Bros, the official trailer – which dropped late last year – can only be described in one word: fun.
With in-game references and even a Mario Kart/Rainbow Road cameo, fans of the original game will find this adaptation worth their time when it releases in April. Don’t worry about the kids either. The bright colours and animation are sure to captivate the young ones during its runtime.
- The Witcher (Season 3)
Unfortunately, this will be the final season starring Henry Cavill, who not only does a spectacular job playing Geralt of Rivia, but is also a huge fan of the video game series and its book adaptation.
Referring to the loss of Cavill in the Netflix series, Reddit user u/cerebralvenom said:
The series is definitely moving further away from the original game’s plot and going downhill but we will still be tuning in to watch Cavill in his final season of a series he so deeply loved.
- The Last of Us
Based on the first The Last of Us video game, this 10-episode series will make its debut on HBO on 15 January.
The balance of following the original source material and changing it up is important for any video game adaptation. It ensures that it is still authentic without being boring.
In an interview with IGN, Neil Druckman, game director of the video games and executive producer of the series, talked about striking that balance with the upcoming series. He said: “Things sometimes stay pretty close… (but) sometimes they deviate greatly to much better effect because we are dealing with a different medium.”
- Fallout
Todd Howard, executive producer at Fallout’s developer, Bethesda Studios, revealed that after a decade of misses, they have found a pitch for the series that felt right.
There is no confirmed release date yet for this project with Amazon Studios though we are expecting to see it at some point this year.
We still do not have much information about what this post-nuclear war adaptation will look like but we can grab our popcorn and watch the other three adaptations on this list while waiting.
