The recent trend of video game adaptations has been a lucrative one, carrying games like Devil May Cry and Resident Evil into a separate medium thanks to the strength of the large fanbases those titles already have. Because of the narrative complexity of the current and previous generation of games, lots of the movies or TV shows we already have or are releasing soon are based on relatively recent titles, including HBO’s successful adaptation of The Last of Us and Amazon’s upcoming adaptation of the Norse trilogy of God of War games. But while the games of the last two decades offer far more intricate storytelling than most games of the past, there’s nothing stopping Hollywood from reaching back to the arcade for inspiration as well.
Just this year alone, Mortal Kombat 2 has already been a moderate success, and the upcoming Street Fighter reboot is hitting theaters soon. But when it comes to the industry’s biggest success stories, two long-lived franchises are at the front of the line. Mario has given us two billion-dollar animated movies, and while Sonic the Hedgehog has already given us three movies and a TV show, there’s a new project coming that’s probably not what you think it is.
