Popular Video Game Franchises That Made It to Film and TV

Alright, let’s get real, video games aren’t just for button-mashing nerds hunched over flickering screens anymore. In fact, a bunch of legendary games basically packed their bags, hopped out of your console, and strutted straight onto your TV and movie screens. And honestly? Some of those journeys were wild, messy, occasionally brilliant rides.

Blame it on the insane storytelling in modern games lately; their plots and characters could totally give Oscar-bait dramas a run for their money. Naturally, Hollywood and the streaming giants noticed and said, “Hey, mind if we cash in on that?” Can you blame them?

So, whether you’ve 100%-ed every game in the franchise or you know that little Italian plumber fella from memes, here’s a quick and dirty rundown of video game franchises that ditched the joystick and became the buzz sometimes for the right reasons, not so much.

The Last of Us (HBO)

Dang, HBO really knocked it out of the park with The Last of Us back in 2023. Like, I honestly didn’t think any video game show would ever live up to the hype, but here we are. Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey? Pure gold. It’s gritty, it tugs at your heartstrings in all the right ways, and man, those emotional gut punches hit hard. The show isn’t just a love letter to fans; it seriously raised the bar for how gaming stories ought to get the TV treatment. No more corny cash-grab adaptations, please.

Sonic the Hedgehog (Film Series)

Remember when everyone freaked out over that first Sonic trailer? Yeah, me too. But they listened, fixed Sonic’s weird goblin face, and the movie ended up being a total blast. Jim Carrey basically carried the whole thing as Dr. Robotnik; dude was off the rails in the best way possible. Throw in Tails and Knuckles in the sequel, and bam, you’ve got a family-friendly juggernaut that even people who don’t know ring zones from chili dogs enjoy. The nostalgia, the goofy jokes, the chaos, Emerald Action… it all just works, somehow.

The Witcher (Netflix)

Alright, look, technically these stories come from books, but let’s be real: most of us met Geralt because of the games. Netflix rolled the dice big-time and, honestly, landed on a natural 20 with Henry Cavill’s take. Gritty, violent, and full of weird monsters and even weirder songs about tossing coins, The Witcher totally latched onto that Crusader Kings, late-night Skyrim vibe. The ripple effect? Suddenly, everyone remembers the games and the books, but mostly, everyone just wants more of Geralt’s deadpan sass.

Resident Evil (So Many Adaptations)

Capcom’s zombie fest just refuses to die. You’ve got the original, absolutely bonkers Paul W.S. Anderson films, where logic takes a backseat every five minutes, and Netflix sort of tried to reboot it in 2022 (short-lived, RIP). Sometimes it’s horror; sometimes it’s Matrix cosplay, but it’s always Resident Evil, and honestly, that matters for something. Welcome to Raccoon City in 2021, dialed up the old-school vibes for fans who love their scares with a side of ridiculous plot twists. Not always great, but it’s weirdly influential, you know?

Arcane (League of Legends – Netflix)

Not gonna lie, Arcane absolutely slaps. Didn’t expect an adaptation based on a MOBA to blow Transformers-level budgets on jaw-dropping animation, but wow, here we are. It’s got everything: sibling drama, sci-fi magic nonsense, and Vi and Jinx bringing all the emotional baggage. You don’t even have to know a pentakill from a blue buff to get hooked. Arcane basically says, “Hey, what if we made art out of a video game?” And then completely delivers. Kinda wild, honestly.

Honorable Mentions

Detective Pikachu – Honestly, I didn’t think Ryan Reynolds as a talking Pikachu would work, but here we are. Live-action meets cartoon chaos, and somehow? It’s adorable.

Halo (Paramount+) – Alright, not going to lie, this show split the fandom faster than a plasma grenade, but you can’t deny those crazy visuals and how hard they tried to bring Master Chief out of the Xbox.

Tomb Raider – Angelina Jolie running around in cargo shorts? Absolute early-2000s gold. Then Alicia Vikander showed up, bruises and all, and made Lara Croft cool again. Still the reigning queen of artifact hunting on the big screen.

Honestly, it kind of makes sense that everyone’s looking at video games for the next blockbuster now—games are basically movies these days, just with more buttons to mash. Sure, some adaptations totally tank (let’s not talk about that one, you know the one), but lately? Especially on streaming sites? The quality’s actually getting pretty wild. I mean, who would’ve thought we’d see a show like The Last of Us actually not suck?

For folks who grew up glued to their consoles, this is the golden age. Watching your favorite pixelated hero jump from your controller to the big(ger) screen? That’s something special.

And hey, for the people making this stuff, it’s Uncharted territory, finally mixing games and movies in a way that doesn’t make everyone cringe.

See Also;

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