With the popular Gamescon and PAX Prime gaming expos coming up gamers and media alike will soon be overwhelmed with the latest in interactive entertainment. With the promise of next-generation consoles and even more powerful PCs game producers can do even more than ever before and have created an even higher standard for entertainment.
With this in mind, I decided to take a look at some video games that I believe would be ideal to make the transition to the big screen. I am not talking about doing independent films such as the ones that Uwe Boll is associated with, lower budget films without major stars where key plotlines, visuals, and other aspects of the games are off the table for inclusion due to contractual restrictions.
I am talking about big studio films with star power, but unlike “Doom” “Wing Commander”, and others, allow the film licenses to be fully utilized on screen such as Sony has done with “Resident Evil” as despite mixed reactions, they have been by far the most successful video game based films.
With that in mind, here are my choices.
Left 4 Dead.
Wirth the huge success of zombies, what better time to bring Valve’s iconic zombie shooter to the screen? There are numerous locales that can be used and the cast can be confined to four people to keep costs down. As “World War Z” showed, you can CGI in hordes of zombies and fill in the rest with hordes of extras.
The story can follow the example of the games. Four people with different backgrounds and beliefs forced to deal with the undead horrors as they attempt to battle their way to an evacuation point and safety.
I for one would love to see a Tank and Witch popping out of the screen in natural 3D.
Dead Space
There have been reports that this is in pre-production but to me the key is keeping the story of Isaac as a lone individual facing absolute horror. Do not muck things up with a giant cast, romantic subplots and such. The key should be Isaac looking to find his girlfriend as he solves the mystery of the Marker.
StarCraft
We finally saw a teaser for the long-rumored Warcraft movie but why not bring the battle of the Protos, Terrans, and Zerg to the screen? Imagine the drama of the story of Rayner and Sarah as well as the CGI filled 3D battles of the Zerg legions invading a Terran city and wrecking total carnage. Think the gore level of “Starship Troopers” only with a story and a three-sided story.
Diablo
Think of it as a medieval epic adventure of sword and sorcery against legions of demonic spawn, undead, and countless supernatural threats. The success of the “Lord of the Rings” films shows that an epic quest film can be done and if “Warcraft” is a hot, then to me this seems like a natural place to look for Blizzard’s next film franchise.
Twisted Metal
I am thinking outside the box on this one, but since “The Fast and the Furious” is earning some serious money with each release, why not look at the story of a homicidal clown with tricked out rig? Sleek vehicles, explosions, car chases and battles and loads of bad guys. This has all the elements needed to be huge in my opinion.
Metal Gear
Also one that has been rumored for a while but with the success and impending return of 24, think of how well this film could be. You have an iconic and deadly main character that can be set in everything from the modern world to the Cold War.
The game series has given numerous examples of locales and scenarios that would make this one that could be in the mode of the “Bourne” series of films if done correctly.
Castlevania
True Blood, Being Human, and dare I say “Twilight” have made Vampires all the rage again, so why not take a look at this one? You have gothic visuals, great characters, and plenty of action. All you need is the right cast and director and you can be looking at a very successful series.
Wolfenstein
With a new gaming coming up, the timing could not be better to look at taking this series to the next level. It has been a fixture of gaming lexicons since it appeared back in the days of the Apple and Commodore systems and the idea of a lone hero taking on legions of Third Reich scum. I know he is long in the tooth but Arnold Schwarzenegger would be one name you may have to consider.
The Elder Scrolls
As I stated earlier with Diablo, fantasy epic with a magical land of dragons, evil, and mystical creatures, this could be a great place to look. The Elder Scrolls Online could be a good litmus test of the continued popularity of the series. If The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is any indication, this could be a no brainer.
The Last of Us.
While Uncharted has had some issues making it to the screen, Naughty Dog have another option in the likely Game of the Year winner in The Last of Us, Gripping characters, tons of action, suspense, and chills, and you already could look to cast Ellen Page.
Dead Rising
Zombies are a big theme here and with several games in the series there are numerous options. From malls to casinos the setting options of the series can be endless and the thought of horror and zombie carnage combined like never before could be a massive selling point.
