The Best Movies And TV Shows Based On Game Franchises

They say that Hollywood is dying and that the streamers like Apple TV, Netflix and Amazon Prime Video are taking over. Screenwriter William Goldman also famously said that in the film world no-one knows anything – so the best the studios can do is guess at what is going to be the next big hit.

One solution that many have latched onto is acquiring the rights to what is known as Intellectual Property, or IP. This is a concept, title or cultural artefact that can be extended to create anything from a multi-million dollar move to an online slots game.

One particular area that has long been a staple of Hollywood has been turning successful video games into movies. TV producers have also climbed on this particular bandwagon too.

Not surprisingly, some of these transformations have worked well and others have bombed completely for the simple reason that a video game plot is very different from a movie one. There’s also the small matter that means a video game character needs quite a lot of development to be carried out until they can carry a whole movie.

But here are five examples where the makers of the movies, and a TV show, have managed to pull it off.

Tomb Raider (2018)

There had been two previous Tomb Raider movies before the release of this one, both starring Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft. These were heavily criticised for the reason just mentioned, the very poor characterisation of our heroine. But the reboot starring Alicia Vikander was far better received on release. Critics found Vikander a more convincing characterisation of Lara Croft but did find that the plot a little lacking. Its gross box office takings amounted to around $274 million, a respectable return on its $95 million production budget. A sequel was also mooted but abandoned when MGM’s rights to the franchise ran out in 2022. It’s believed that there are plans by Amazon to reanimate the franchise with a TV series and accompanying video game.

The Minecraft Movie (2025)

The gestation period for the Minecraft Movie was a long one. It first started back in 2014 and only came to fruition in 2025. It’s proved to be one of the most successful movies of all time that has its origins as a video game earning a worldwide gross of $955 million. This is all the more remarkable because of the sandbox nature of the original game was always considered to be very hard to recreate on film. But a stellar cast including Jack Black, Jason Momoa and Danielle Brooks bring the story to life as they try to escape from the cubic world that they’re trapped in. The film also quickly gained cult status, attracting not always popular audience participation.

Resident Evil (2002 – present day)

In terms of the number of sequels a movie series based on a video has generated there’s one hands-down winner. To date there have been seven Resident Evil movies with another one slated for release in 2026. The first six films followed the efforts of a character called Alice, who didn’t appear in the original game, in her battles against an evil organisation called the Umbrella Corporation whose actions have brought about a zombie apocalypse. Despite never being very warmly received by critics the series has managed to take more than $1.2 billion in ticket sales, as well as having hugely boosted sales of the game too. Less successful was the TV series commissioned and made by Netflix. Released in July 2022, by August it had been cancelled after a single season.

The Last of Us (2023)

A zombie-themed TV show that has been far more successful is The Last of Us. Developed by HBO from the original video game that has seen the world ravaged by a deadly fungus, the first season loosely follows the plot of the game itself. So well was it received that some critics announced that it represented a new era for the genre of TV series based on video games. There was also general consensus among reviewers and fans of the series that episode three compared with the very best of the best from other top quality TV series like The Sopranos, Breaking Bad and The Wire.

Mortal Kombat (2021)

Like Tomb Raider, this was another reboot from a couple of films that had earlier received something of a lukewarm reception. Starring Lewis Tan, Jessica McNamee and Josh Lawson the movie was undoubtedly over the top with its ever-more violent fights with blood gushing dramatically. So it may not have had any Oscar nominations, but it was a big hit with fans of the genre.

We’ll undoubtedly see many more game-to movie and TV crossovers in the future, some better and some worse than the ones that are featured here. But all are certain to have their supporters.

🔙 Back to Articles list.