Games and the films based on them basically have one thing in common. Yes, they are meant for those dedicated gamers who have already played the game and want to see their favorite videogame characters come to life. There are many movies today that are being produced and are a real hit at the box office because they are mainly based on a videogames storyline.
Furthermore, some movies are released even before the games have been released, thus making the game freaks even more eager to play the game. Such examples could be DOOM 3, Silent Hill, The God Father and many more. The movie DOOM starring WWE superstar The Rock aka Dwayne Johnson is based on the game DOOM 3 itself. Here Rock plays the character called Saarge who is sent on a mission to Mars to fight and eradicate all the sources of evil. However those who have played the game are a bit disappointed with the movie as it did not live up to their expectations.
The other movie, which was released, was Silent Hill that is also based on the game. The movie has a storyline that is almost similar to that in the game. However, it is not as scary as the game itself. The game will haunt you for hours after playing it but this is not the same with the movie. Hey how can I forget Lara Croft Tomb Raider that is also based on the game series. Though the characters in the games are not as appealing as in the movie, the games are even more interesting than the movie. The next is The Godfather, which is a truly amazing game and is really recommended for those who have read the book and even watched the movie. The graphics are superb; the music is awesome thus making it a real hardcore mafia game.
Yet to be released is Superman Returns: The Videogame that is based on the movie Superman Returns. It is being released for the Xbox 360 and the PS 2. The most awaited movie, which is yet to be released, is based on one of my all time favorites Max Payne. I am sure that once the movie is released it will be number one in the box-office. Although I am not sure about the official release of the movie, there is a short film called Max Payne: Payne and Redemption, which is directed by Fergle Gibson, stars Nigel Billing, Kylie Cushman and John Mangan.
The next is Halo, which is an upcoming film, based on the video game series of the same name, developed by Bungie Studios. The script for the movie was to be written by Alex Garland, though writer D.B. Weiss, author of Lucky Wander Boy is set to rewrite it, using elements of the Garland draft. The movie will be developed and released by Universal Pictures and 20th Century Fox, under the creative oversight of Microsoft. Former Columbia president Peter Schlessel has been selected as producer, and Peter Jackson will be the executive producer. Shooting has yet to begin, but due to the graphic content of the source material, the film will more than likely receive a PG-13 or R rating. The movie is expected to release in mid-2008 due to how long it has taken to find the right Director for the project. This director has been revealed as Neill Blomkamp. So far, there has been little public mention of what actors could star in the movie or what the plot could cover.
The Halo storyline currently spans three novels, an upcoming novel (tentatively called Halo: Ghosts of Coral), two video games, another upcoming video game (Halo 3), and the Halo Graphic Novel, as well as related material potentially including such elements as the ilovebees promotion. A movie could draw on potentially any of these sources for inspiration. The story of the movie could include the following.
The basic premise of the original Halo video game plot involves an ongoing war between humanity and a conglomerate of fanatically religious alien races known only as the Covenant. A human ship The Pilar of Autumn containing the last of a genetically and cybernetically enhanced squad of super-soldiers (known only as Spartans) stumble across a seemingly abandoned giant ring shaped planet (called Halo) floating in space. Halo has major religious significance to the Covenant, as they seem to regard it as a powerful and sacred weapon, so Spartan 117 also known as the Master Chief and the Pillar of Autumn’s A.I. construct, Cortana, try to gain control of it.
However, it is revealed that Halo is in fact a giant research station that contains a mutagenic virus called the Flood which turns it’s host into a carnivorous, violent, zombie-like mutation that lives only to further spread the virus, (which is accidentally released by the Covenant). This activates Halo’s pre-programmed defense mechanism, which is to wipe out all sentient life in the galaxy (which is what the Flood eat to survive), with a massive explosion, effectivly starving the flood to death. It is implied (and confirmed in the sequel, Halo 2) that the original builders of the Halos, known as the Forerunner, killed themselves by firing off all 7 of the Halo worlds in concert millenia ago in order to stop a previous Flood outbreak. However, there are clues in the series that suggest the Forerunner out ran the Halos’ destructive arc.
The next most awaiting film is Dead Or Alive which is a also a favorite. Based on the popular fighting game franchise, Dead or Alive is billed as “Charlie’s Angels meets Enter The Dragon.” The film stars Jaime Pressly (Not Another Teen Movie), Holly Valance, Devon Aoki (Sin City, 2 Fast 2 Furious), Sarah Carter (Final Destination 2), Kane Kosugi (Godzilla: Final Wars), Natassia Malthe (Elektra), Matthew Marsden (Black Hawk Down) and Eric Roberts (National Security, Spun). The studio and developer announced that shooting on the Impact Pictures production is underway in The Yuzi Paradise, Guilin and in The Zhejiang Hengdian World Studios China. The production will later move to Hong Kong where its expected to wrap. In a statement, producer Jeremy Bolt said, “Our locations are epic, and the local crews and stunt teams are simply remarkable. We feel lucky to be here, and Cory Yuen has done an astonishing job in training our cast. The action sequences are truly awesome.” The DOA script was penned by J.F. Lawton (Under Siege, Pretty Woman), Adam & Seth Gross (Devour), and Granz Henman. Jeremy Bolt and Paul W.S. Anderson are producing. There are no details on the film’s story, but I’m sure they’ll work some hot volleyball action in there somewhere.
Another most awaited is Capcom’s Clock Tower videogame franchise which is coming to the big screen courtesy of production company Mayhem Project and Chilean movie director Jorge Olguin (Black Angel, Eternal Blood). The script for the supernatural horror flick will be penned by When a Stranger Calls screenwriter Jake Wade Wall. The story reportedly centers around a young woman who gets a disturbing phone call from her estranged mother warning her not to come home. When she investigates, she uncovers a terrible supernatural truth from her past. First released in 1997, Capcom’s Clock Tower series has become one of the best-selling gaming franchises of all time. The Clock Tower movie is expected to go into production this September.
The best part about movies that are based on games is that they will also attract non-gamers to theaters as well as lure some of them to the action packed world of gaming.