The Best Movies of All Time Inspired by Games

Source: Piqsels

In many cases, there have been video games released in homage to successful movies. However, it’s also fair to say there have been plenty of movie directors inspired to create a production for the big screen based on a game’s lasting success or genius. Below, we explore five of the best movie adaptations of video and table games that have been at the heart of popular culture for generations.

Silent Hill

In 2006, Christophe Gans directed a psychological horror movie titled Silent Hill. It was an adaptation of Konami’s hugely successful Silent Hill video game, released in 1999. Gans worked particularly hard to seek approval from Konami to hand him the film rights. With a $50m budget, Silent Hill ended up grossing more than $100m globally, as well as an additional $22m in sales on DVD. The movie received four nominations for Fangoria Chainsaw Awards and its success spawned the sequel Silent Hill: Revelation six years later. Gans confirmed in 2020 that he was working on another Silent Hill movie too.

Mortal Kombat

It’s been 24 years since the downright failure of Mortal Kombat: Annihilation on the big screen, but Simon McQuoid’s reboot of the beat’em up video game classic has received a much warmer reception. Released in IMAX theaters and via the HBO Max streaming platform, the 2021 version of Mortal Kombat has already become HBO Max’s most-watched film launch thus far.

Casino

Martin Scorsese’s 1995 hit movie Casino is an undeniable celebration of the style and decadence of casino gaming environments. With a cast bulging with Hollywood icons, namely Robert De Niro, Sharon Stone and Joe Pesci, the movie revolves around the ups and downs of managing a casino on the Las Vegas Strip. Casino games have long inspired movie directors, with more recent efforts like the Ocean’s Eleven trilogy and Rounders (featuring Matt Damon) capturing the imagination of the paying public at the box office. These stories provide an insight into playing land-based casino games in person, which may be unique to millennial and Gen Z players that have only experienced them online via live casinos boasting HD-quality visuals of the table action in real-time.

Tomb Raider

Source: Piqsels

Lara Croft was one of the most popular video game protagonists of the 1990s and early 2000s. It was therefore big news when Angelina Jolie was cast in the role for Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, released in 2001. Simon West directed the movie which sees Croft battling to secure ancient artifacts from the clutches of the Illuminati. An all-action thriller, Jolie received significant praise for her role. The gaming community came out in full force to watch the movie during its opening weekend, becoming one of the highest-grossing game-to-movie adaptations of all time.

Sonic the Hedgehog

Who better to be cast in a movie involving one of the world’s most iconic video game characters of all time than Jim Carrey? Jeff Fowler’s 2020 adventure comedy was released in early 2020 and is the first of several movies planned for the Sonic the Hedgehog series. In North America alone, it became the single highest-grossing video game movie adaptation of all time. Fans should note that Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is already slated to reach a screen near you in April 2022.