Movies are all about telling a story. Its purpose might be to inform, to educate, to entertain, or it might do all three, but this is always done in the form of a tale of some sort.
The huge scope of Hollywood and other film production centres means that there is a vast amount of diversity in the industry. This mix of people, backgrounds, and experiences means that inspiration for movies is incredibly varied.
You only have to look at productions like Avatar (2009), The Social Network (2010), and The Emoji Movie (2017) to see three very different creations.
Frequently, directors look to games as the source for their next movie, either basing the entire production around it or just a small part.
Of course, they don’t hit a home run every time they step up to bat, but more often than not, these movies are both commercial and critical successes.
21 (2008)
21 is a film about the MIT Blackjack Team, though a lot of creative license has been used to create a more concise and entertaining story for Hollywood audiences. It enjoyed a lot of box office success because it combined both familiarity and mystery.
The familiarity came from the central topic of the film – blackjack. This is a card game that most people are familiar with thanks to its widespread availability online. Almost every casino offers at least one variant of blackjack, though many offer several options like classic, premium, and high roller to cater to all tastes.
Meanwhile, the mystery comes from the fact that few people can count cards in the way that’s depicted in the movie. This creates intrigue that lasts from start to finish, keeping you glued to the screen.
The real-life story of the MIT Blackjack Team is different from what you see on screen, but many of the changes made have helped to make the film easier to follow and more engaging for audiences. That doesn’t take away from the fact that it’s a great adaptation of a fascinating story.
Super Mario Bros. (1993)
There has been a lot of talk recently about Super Smash Bros.: The Movie, which is scheduled for release some time in 2023. But this modern production, featuring Conan O’Brien, John Cena, Zac Efron, and Jennifer Carpenter, is not what we’re talking about here.
Nor are we talking about The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which is also scheduled to hit cinemas in the spring of 2023.
30 years before the slated release of these movie adaptations of the popular Mario-themed games, another movie was based on the famous plumber.
Named simply Super Mario Bros., this game is a live-action film with a thin and flimsy connection to the moustachioed Italian plumber that we’ve all come to love. Instead, it feels more like Ghostbusters but on a budget, and has even been called by some the worst movie ever made.
However, the passage of time has dissipated some of this ill will and many people have helped to build a cult following for this unusual release.
Need for Speed (2014)
Need for Speed has become one of the leading brands for racing games, with a history that spans almost every console released over the last three decades.
Over that time, Need for Speed has evolved several times, starting out as a simple street racing game that has since morphed into titles with storylines and different focuses.
For example, in NFS: Underground and Underground 2, players could customise their cars with performance and aesthetic upgrades, including many modifications associated with underground street racing participants.
It is widely believed that the concepts for Underground and its sequel were heavily inspired by the Fast and Furious movies.
But that didn’t stop Scott Waugh in 2014, when he brought that inspiration full circle to create Need for Speed, a live-action movie about street racing.
The game was a huge commercial success, generating more than $203 million at the box office from a $66 million budget.
However, it left many who bought tickets dissatisfied, earning Need for Speed a low aggregate score on Metacritic and a string of negative reviews from viewers and critics alike.
