Current Events > I'm starting to understand Hollywood's apathy toward video games.

(+) Yeah! (+)

I'm a retro gamer. I don't care for 3D visuals or mechanics nearly as much as 2D visuals or the mechanics of the 8-bit and 16-bit eras. I don't begrudge the modern era, but I feel like 2D gaming needed another 5 years before the switch was made to 3D.

If you let me make a film based off of Super Mario, Double Dragon, or Mortal Kombat, I'd knock the socks off of the best video game film adaptation yet. If you gave me Uncharted, Halo, or Mass Effect, I'd be as bored and apathetic about the situation as Hollywood is about seemingly all games.

I'm to direct Final Fantasy? Well, let's see. The protagonist will need to be a pretty boy with spiky hair or an expressionless woman with long straight hair. The movie will need Chocobos and Espers. People seem to love those things. There will need to be some kind of a grand summon; maybe in the movie's climax. Oh, and there's gotta be a character named Cid. What more is there to be said, right? (4.5 IMDb, 35% on Rotten Tomatoes)

At least I think I would have the courtesy to hire people for referential purposes. What is the appeal of this game? What are the highlights? Can I get a transcript of character dialogue? Could you show me some of the things people would expect to see? How about a compilation of cut scenes and some gameplay footage?

I don't believe in accepting payment for a job and then turning in a minimal effort. On principle alone, I'm sure I'd do better than most. But there really is no such thing as being able to pay someone to take interest in something they honestly don't give a shit about.

I don't agree at all with Uncharted, Halo, and Mass Effect being your representations of 3D gaming.
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I'm not saying that all 3D gaming is like those games anymore than I'm saying that all retro gaming is Mario or Mortal Kombat. I just needed an example of something that could potentially be made into a movie.

Those games you mentioned are already very movie-like. Making a movie out of them would be useless and not as good as making another game.

Now if you made a movie out of say, Crazy Taxi that would be interesting.
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Imagine a live-action movie of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Or maybe a TV series, since it'd be a bit hard to cram it all into a single movie.
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DarkTransient posted...

Imagine a live-action movie of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Or maybe a TV series, since it'd be a bit hard to cram it all into a single movie.

It's called the blaxploitation genre and it's pretty damned awesome.

>_>

Hmm you seem odd
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In the age of Uber and Lyft, one cabbie has had enough. Dwayne Johnson is, Crazy Taxi!
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mustachedmystic posted...

In the age of Uber and Lyft, one cabbie has had enough. Dwayne Johnson is, Crazy Taxi!

xD

Its easier to make a movie out of the old 2d games because they didnt have a story to them, so besides throwing in some names to please the fans you could essentially make whatever you want. Halo, ME, and Uncharted are heavy with story so your movie would be more of an adaptation then anything else.
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Metal Gear Solid is getting a movie adaptation and it's going to kick ass.
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Skye Reynolds posted...

If you let me make a film based off of Super Mario, Double Dragon, or Mortal Kombat, I'd knock the socks off of the best video game film adaptation yet.

lol no you wouldn't.

Skye Reynolds posted...

I don't believe in accepting payment for a job and then turning in a minimal effort. On principle alone, I'm sure I'd do better than most. But there really is no such thing as being able to pay someone to take interest in something they honestly don't give a shit about.

Movies are a collaborate effort. It's usually not the fault of a single person. These people usually are trying the best they can.

But there's only so much they can do within certain circumstances.
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hollywood doesn't need to make video game movies since video games have already become video game movies
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Darmik posted...

lol no you wouldn't.

I've never been in a director's chair, but I could write a better screenplay than what any of these films have had thus far. And for the record, I have taken writing classes including screenwriting.

It's actually time that I buckle down and purchase that screenwriting software. Of course, if I do end up selling a script (it won't be based off of a video game or any other material subject to copyright) or publishing outside of the movie industry, I'd never share it with CE. I'd hate to get James Gunn'd down by something I'd said on a message board years ago.

Darmik posted...

Movies are a collaborate effort. It's usually not the fault of a single person. These people usually are trying the best they can.

But there's only so much they can do within certain circumstances.

Some people have turned in good performances, like Angelina Jolie, Raoul Julia, and the guy who played Vega. More often than not, you're likely to get someone collecting a paycheck or, worse yet, ignoring script changes and taking shots of vodka between takes to cope with how bad the production is.

It is true that finding the people who will at least give passable performances is key. I really don't think the first Mortal Kombat movie had any performances which straight stood out as bad. There were weaknesses within the script, but it was a competently made movie, with some decent performances, and remains the best film based on a video game.

Skye Reynolds posted...

DarkTransient posted...

Imagine a live-action movie of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Or maybe a TV series, since it'd be a bit hard to cram it all into a single movie.

It's called the blaxploitation genre and it's pretty damned awesome.

>_>

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qZwwyHvCbo" data-time="
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A lot of times it seems like video game movies are not made for the fans of the game. They rewrite all kinds of shit to make it work as a movie, and make sure people who don't play the game will be able to follow it, but that approach makes no sense. The entire point of adapting a game into a movie is to capitalize on the popularity of the game.
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Skye Reynolds posted...

And for the record, I have taken writing classes including screenwriting.

What's your CV
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CyricZ posted...

Skye Reynolds posted...

And for the record, I have taken writing classes including screenwriting.

What's your CV

I haven't published anything yet. I've had ideas circulating for years, developing individual scenes and characters, but I've never laid any of it out and submitted it for publication.

Even if I had, again, I wouldn't state it here. "Skye Reynolds" will always be a dreamer in that regard because I can't allow him to be the person behind the keyboard.

The only video games that could work as a movie are shitty walking simulators or games like Uncharted which are practically movies anyways.

Otherwise, it doesn't work because there is such a huge difference in storytelling style between video games and movies. Video games tend to be long burns where the vast majority of the storytelling is told through the experience and the gameplay as much as the exposition.

That isn't easy to transfer to movies, so a lot of short cuts and just making shit up happens that fans of the game do not like, and actual film fans find to show a low quality of filmmaking.
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The only reason why video game movies like a real FF one will never work is because the average audience member has trouble dealing with lots of characters. There's a reason most movies have 2-4 main characters and the rest are there for exposition and not much else.

It could still work by adjusting it but the American audience is largely idiots. We want mindless action/comedy which is why you see tons of "deep" or complex films with high critic ratings but low audience ones. They bomb at the box office as often as they perform decent/well too.
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DarkTransient posted...

Imagine a live-action movie of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Or maybe a TV series, since it'd be a bit hard to cram it all into a single movie.

Its called Fast & Furious. Only thing missing is the protagonists having firearms.
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I mean, they still make 2D games to this day. Even back then, the Neo Geo kept kicking around with new releases until 2004, or 2000 if you want to stop counting when SNK went under. But that is still the extra 5 years of 2D games you were asking for

also, the GBA gets released right after that and it is literally a 32 bit SNES
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Jiggy101011 posted...

Its easier to make a movie out of the old 2d games because they didnt have a story to them, so besides throwing in some names to please the fans you could essentially make whatever you want. Halo, ME, and Uncharted are heavy with story so your movie would be more of an adaptation then anything else.

Many of those non-story games had their stories explained in the manual.
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None of what you said is accurate. They've already made films based on the 2D stuff you've mentioned, and they were all terrible. Hollywood's apathy towards videogames had absolutely nothing to do with 2D vs 3D. They don't care at all. They make these movies as quick and easy cash grabs and put little effort into them. From the 80s until now.

You are mostly just overinflating your self worth. And making it clear that you have a poor grasp of all the moving parts that go into making a movie. You can write the best screenplay in the world, but that doesn't stop some execs from butchering your work. It doesn't mean that the studio but will hire the right director. Or that the actors best for your movie will even take the roll. Or that the studio will give the project enough funding to do things right. A lot of pieces have to fall in place. And the EPs, Writers, Directors, and to a lesser extent, the actors all need to have it be a passion project. Something they really believe in.

Also, no. Mortal Kombat isn't the best videogame based movie adaption. That honor goes to Silent Hill. Then Resident Evil.
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Bandit_Keith posted...

Also, no. Mortal Kombat isn't the best videogame based movie adaption. That honor goes to Silent Hill. Then Resident Evil.

MK:A is way better than any resident evil
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Videogame adaptations suck for the same reason pretty much any adaptation sucks: something appealing to an esoteric and geeky niche audience has to be made to appeal to a wide audience.

Balrog0 posted...

MK:A is way better than any resident evil

The only entertaining thing about it was just how terrible it was.
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X-Pac_Heat posted...

The only video games that could work as a movie are shitty walking simulators or games like Uncharted which are practically movies anyways.

Otherwise, it doesn't work because there is such a huge difference in storytelling style between video games and movies. Video games tend to be long burns where the vast majority of the storytelling is told through the experience and the gameplay as much as the exposition.

That isn't easy to transfer to movies, so a lot of short cuts and just making shit up happens that fans of the game do not like, and actual film fans find to show a low quality of filmmaking.

This.

It's why I never get people who get excited for the supposed Metal Gear Solid movie.

That whole series hinges on being a fucking game. Even MGS4 wouldn't work outside of being a game just because of how fucking long winded everything in it is.

If it was made into a movie it would feel off.
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give it ten years or so, so the kids growing up in the 2010s are adults or in their late teens, and then im sure you'll be seeing Fortnite and CoD Black Ops movies to cash in on the kids who are nostalgic for the games they played growing up
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X-Pac_Heat posted...

The only video games that could work as a movie are shitty walking simulators or games like Uncharted which are practically movies anyways.

Otherwise, it doesn't work because there is such a huge difference in storytelling style between video games and movies. Video games tend to be long burns where the vast majority of the storytelling is told through the experience and the gameplay as much as the exposition.

That isn't easy to transfer to movies, so a lot of short cuts and just making shit up happens that fans of the game do not like, and actual film fans find to show a low quality of filmmaking.

If Hollywood can make a great LotR trilogy from the books, then there is no reason they can't take a video game and do the same.

It is easy to transfer to movies, that's why let's plays and video walk through's are popular. The issue is that too many directors take too many liberties and end up with a product that the original fanbase doesn't want and the casual moviegoers still doesn't care about.
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Skye Reynolds posted...

I'd hate to get James Gunn'd down by something I'd said on a message board years ago.

Don't worry, your secrets are safe with The Catgirl Fondler ...just don't tell anybody you know The Catgirl Fondler.
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The Catgirl Fondler posted...

Skye Reynolds posted...

I'd hate to get James Gunn'd down by something I'd said on a message board years ago.

Don't worry, your secrets are safe with The Catgirl Fondler ...just don't tell anybody you know The Catgirl Fondler.

xD

I'm curious, what would your idea for a Super Mario Bros. movie be?
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GeneralKenobi85 posted...

I'm curious, what would your idea for a Super Mario Bros. movie be?

A shot for shot remake of the classic, but John Leguizamo plays EVERYONE
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DrizztLink posted...

GeneralKenobi85 posted...

I'm curious, what would your idea for a Super Mario Bros. movie be?

A shot for shot remake of the classic, but John Leguizamo plays EVERYONE

...even the car?

DrizztLink posted...

GeneralKenobi85 posted...

I'm curious, what would your idea for a Super Mario Bros. movie be?

A shot for shot remake of the classic, but John Leguizamo plays EVERYONE

Shut up and take my money!
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Questionmarktarius posted...

DrizztLink posted...

GeneralKenobi85 posted...

I'm curious, what would your idea for a Super Mario Bros. movie be?

A shot for shot remake of the classic, but John Leguizamo plays EVERYONE

...even the car?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBKXu3Kg4yg" data-time="
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Bloodychess posted...

It is easy to transfer to movies, that's why let's plays and video walk through's are popular.

Lets Plays and Walkthroughs are completely different from theatrical releases. The fact you would even say this makes me think you don't understand what I'm talking about, but then you say this...

The issue is that too many directors take too many liberties and end up with a product that the original fanbase doesn't want and the casual moviegoers still doesn't care about.

Which is an inherent issue with trying to adapt video games into theatrical films. That's like the whole point of my post. Video Games as a storytelling medium are so drastically different than books or film that it is almost impossible to do it in a way that everyone is going to enjoy it.

Now, could a Lord of the Rings be done with a video game? Sure. It already has been in a way with Resident Evil. Now I'm sure you're going to say "Resident Evil is horrible film series, it's barely like the games!"

and I'd argue that there are a ton of LotR book fans that say the exact same thing.

Skye Reynolds posted...

It's actually time that I buckle down and purchase that screenwriting software.

Celtx is free and has essentially all the functionality you would want for screenwriting.
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If you think the reason Hollywood hates the gaming industry is because many devs try to make interactive movies, you're pretty delusional

Hollywood hates the gaming industry because they actively take money from them, simple as that. It's why they'll never allow a good videogame movie to be made, why would directly work with and try to help an industry that actively sucks money out of yours?
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X-Pac_Heat posted...

Which is an inherent issue with trying to adapt video games into theatrical films. That's like the whole point of my post

And the point of my post is that there isn't some massive storytelling presentation gap that makes translating a video game story onto the big screen really tough. The liberties some studio's and directors make are unnecessary and usually lead to a film flopping. You're more or less saying it can't be done because video games are just too different.

Hollywood can make successful films based off of books, comics, and plays. Video Games aren't some medium that's just unworkable, more people in production just need to respect the source material.

X-Pac_Heat posted...

Now I'm sure you're going to say "Resident Evil is horrible film series, it's barely like the games!"

Oh yeah, totally agree. They definitely didn't have RE3 in mind when shooting the 2nd theatrical movie.
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I'm trying to remember the least-awful videogame movie, and all I can come up with is Pokemon...

Bloodychess posted...

You're more or less saying it can't be done because video games are just too different.

Pretty much, or at least it can never be done well. I'd make the correction of saying it can't be done with certain games too.

Hitman is probably the perfect example of this. Hitman is literally a video game that can't be done correctly in film. The proof is there because they've tried it twice and it completely misses the mark both times and becomes something completely different.

Metal Gear Solid is the next game I think of, because I hear they are doing a movie of that soon. It could be a good movie, but it's probably not going to feel like Metal Gear Solid and will have to become more of it's own thing just because you can not adapt the gameplay or pacing of a Metal Gear Solid story to the big screen very well. (unless you made it like a 6 hour epic or broke it up into parts)

However, you probably can make a great film out of say...Uncharted. This isn't a knock on Uncharted btw, but Uncharted is paced a lot like a movie and you could condense the shootouts and stuff down for a film I think.

You could also do it with Mario. I think you could make a great animated film out of Mario, Donkey Kong, Kirby or even F-Zero. Legend of Zelda and Metroid are a bit more dicey. Like I feel it can be done, but it will feel a little too condensed and lose something in the adaptation (unless they were broken up into like 3 films or a long epic).

So yeah, it's not that it can't be done, but they're really bad at picking games that it can be done well with.

ZombiePelican posted...

If you think the reason Hollywood hates the gaming industry is because many devs try to make interactive movies, you're pretty delusional

I never said that. My thought process was that they can't be arsed to deal with them because it's not something that means something to them. If you gave me an opportunity to adapt a cartoon that I watched as a child, I'd jump at the opportunity. If you gave me something I never saw or cared about, I'd be lost on how to get something good out of it.

mustachedmystic posted...

In the age of Uber and Lyft, one cabbie has had enough. Dwayne Johnson is, Crazy Taxi!

Sad thing is I'm sure this has already finished filming
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There are two primary reasons that video game movies will always struggle getting a good adaptation

1. Video games are an interactive medium. Either they don't have much of a story or you have a story that's controlled/experienced by the player. That adds an extra layer that a movie can never really live up to. Jumping out of a building in Uncharted 2 was a thrill. In a movie it's just another action scene. Mario jumping on a Goomba means nothing in a movie. A movie doesn't really give any benefits that a video game cannot.

2. These properties generally don't have anywhere near as much exposure or reach as a good book or superhero. If you cater to fans of the series you're catering to a minority. This leads to a whole lot of people who are just working off the brand name and marketing. It leads to producers who don't want people to feel excluded if they haven't played the game. It doesn't matter if the actor, director of screenwriter is a fan. Things outside of their control will get changes to cater for the mass audience. They're not exactly wrong. How many people gave a shit that the Warcraft movie was accurate? It flopped and Warcraft is one of the most popular series around.

Detective Pikachu, Mario and Sonic have some inherent advantages that most video game movies do not. People are familiar with the characters and their attitudes and they're not adapting a specific story. But they need to be able to stand on their own.
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GeneralKenobi85 posted...

I'm curious, what would your idea for a Super Mario Bros. movie be?

That depends on my level of creative control. Super Mario RPG is my favorite Mario entry from a thematic standpoint and I've always preferred the character to be more like Popeye than Mickey Mouse. But if Nintendo mandated that I go the Charles Martinet route and place Mario in a world full of bright colors and smiling faces, I'd have no choice but to acquiesce.

With creative control, I'd be looking at more of a "dark" fairy tale. Visually, I'm thinking something along the lines of Snow White or Sleeping Beauty. The protagonists would be optimistic and likable, but the stakes would be real. And Bowser would be a no-nonsense foe; a reptilian devil with a mouth full of sharp teeth and a temper to match. Bowser's minions, with the exception of a duo of characters designated for comedic relief, would be like fairy tale goblins or mythic creatures. Most of them would never speak. Mario would be a blind optimist and a born adventurer. Luigi, the less static of the two characters, would be more of a realist. He wouldn't be a coward, but he would be more cautious and always opting to keep out of things. Still, he'd follow along out of loyalty, mostly to protect Mario from his own overconfidence, and to see how things pan out in a strange bit of confidence in his brother.

Now, if I had to go the established route, Mario is Mickey Mouse and we try and give him what depth we can, Luigi is a comic coward, Bowser is something of a comic buffoon, and Peach and Toad are still likely at my discretion since they never stick with a given characterization anyway. I'd probably make Peach the unofficial star of the film and play up the strong girly character troupe. And I'd try to make Bowser as competent of a foe as I could within the given framework. He'd be someone we'd laugh at and think an idiot, but he would defeat Mario at some point prior to the film's final confrontation. The overall tone would probably be something more along the lines of Frozen meets Alice in Wonderland. It wouldn't be as good, but falling short of the best is still a lot better than what we got back in 1993.

Either way, I'd want the end credits to feature "behind the scenes" footage of the "actors" preparing for their parts. This would signal that, right or wrong, the movie is nothing but an adaptation and should have no bearing on how the game series plays out going forward. So if Miyamoto thinks my interpretation of Bowser is too dark or that this was another case of making a movie about again rather than adapting a game, it is just what it is: the characters participating in a movie.

Sounds like a generic DreamWorks movie tbh. Like a worse How to Train Your Dragon.

I don't even know how the actual Mario movie will handle Mario as a character. Charles Martinet is so ingrained in him now but I don't think that suits a main character with lots of dialogue.
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Skye Reynolds posted...

with the exception of a duo of characters designated for comedic relief,

ugh

Marvel has proven that you can have splashes of humor throughout your otherwise serious story, but designated "comic relief" characters are almost always awful and people hate them
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