Video game movies you didn’t know were coming

It would seem that for the next 5 years or so, some big gaming franchises will be having a crack at big-screen fame.

Sure, we all know that Hitman will be having another go this year with Agent 47, and that the Assassin’s Creed movie recently got an official release date (21 December 2016).

But did you know that there was a Dead Rising movie? And did you know that it’s going to be released this March?

Okay, so it won’t be in theatres (it will debut on Sony Pictures’ streaming service, Crackle), but heck, that one crept up on us out of nowhere.

Video game movies have always been a hit or miss. More misses than hits, to be fair. Worryingly, for most of the films listed below – even the ones expected to release soon – there is very little media (images, trailers) to go on.

In any event, here are the movies based on games that are coming soon – or may not be coming at all.

2015

Dead Rising: Watchtower – 27 March

“Indiana Jones with Zombies” – the director of Leprechaun: Origins (ugh), Zach Lipovsky helmed this one. It stars comedian Rob Riggle (21 and 22 Jump Street, Modern Family) and presumably features zombies.

Hitman: Agent 47 – 28 August

Hitman has already graced our big screens before with 2007’s Hitman (starring Timothy Olyphant in the titular role). It wasn’t bad, actually. Round 2 stars Homeland’s Rupert Friend as Agent 47 and has Zachary Quinto popping up as well.

Ratchet and Clank – “Early 2015”

Sony’s beloved platforming duo will be getting their big-screen debut soon. How soon? We don’t know, but it has an official trailer and everyone got excited about it last year.

Resident Evil: The Final Chapter – “Summer 2015”

This hardly counts as a video game adaptation anymore, but the “final” Resident Evil movie will be coming this year after being delayed from a 2014 release due to Milla Jovovich’s pregnancy.

2016

Warcraft – 11 March

Another film we’ve had a long wait for, Warcraft is finally getting its big release in theatres next year. The film will look at the initial encounters between the humans and the orcs, and the Alliance’s and Horde’s side of the conflict.

Uncharted – 10 June

The Uncharted movie has had a really tough production. Directors coming and going, scripts being written and rewritten – it seems hard to believe that it will actually hit cinemas next year. Filming is set to start sometime in 2015.

Assassin’s Creed – 21 December

20th Century Fox has finally given this movie a release date – now let’s hope it can stick to it. After years of development (since 2011) and many reported changes, the movie will still be produced by and star Michael Fassbender (X-Men: First Class), and is rumoured to be set in modern times and during the Spanish Inquisition.

Sly Cooper – “Early 2016”

Another beloved platformer that’s getting the CGI feature film treatment is Sly Cooper. It got a full trailer last year and is expected to hit cinemas next year – check it out:

Angry Birds – TBA 2016

Rovio is financing this CGI feature directly, so you can expect an “authentic” Angry Birds experience. Whatever that may be. Kids will probably love it.

2017/18

Minecraft

We may not see this “big-budget” feature until 2017 or 2018 – but seeing as it’s being produced by The Lego Movie’s Roy Lee, it should be pretty awesome.

Some day. If ever.

Okay, so here’s a list of video games that have had movie announcements over the past few years, and where they currently stand.

Who knows if these will ever get made, but there are a few that I certainly hope will make the jump to the big screen.

There are also a few I hope drop into the chasm of obscurity. I’m looking at you, The Sims movie.

The Sims

Announced in 2007 and first expected to release in 2012, this is one game-to-movie adaptation that some wouldn’t mind never seeing. It’s flagged as in-development, and there’s no indication when it will release, if ever.

RollerCoaster Tycoon

No idea why, but apparently this is a thing.

The Last Of Us

On March 6, 2014, Sony announced that Screen Gems will distribute a film adaptation of The Last of Us. Neil Druckmann will write the film and Sam Raimi will produce it. No release date yet.

Deus Ex

Eidos Montreal and CBS Films have the film rights to the game, and it has a director attached – but production has been very silent. If it’s anything like this awesome short film, colour me super excited.

Mortal Kombat

Ever since the Mortal Kombat: Rebirth series hit the web, the third Mortal Kombat movie has been floating around. In 2011 New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. announced that it would be coming. We’re still waiting.

Watch Dogs, Splinter Cell, Far Cry, and Ghost Recon

When Ubisoft isn’t releasing broken games, it also likes to maintain some control over the movie adaptations of its franchises.

We’ll hold out to see how Assassin’s Creed turns out before getting excited/worried about these films, but UbiHQ has indicated they’re all in the works.

Tomb Raider

We don’t know when it’s coming, but we’re pretty certain that it is. In 2011, GK Films acquired the film rights and plans to release an origin story reboot for the film series.

Mass Effect

EA announced that Legendary Pictures and Warner Bros. acquired the rights to a Mass Effect film in May 2010. Since then, there has been very little word on the flick. Apparently production is ongoing, with series lead Casey Hudson still attached.

Metal Gear Solid

First announced by series creator Hideo Kojima in 2006, the Metal Gear Solid movie has been hanging in the air for a while. As of 2012, Kojima confirmed it was still coming, and in 2014 Sony was looking for a director. So here’s hoping.

Shadow of the Colossus

Sony announced a film adaptation in 2009, but little has been seen since. In 2014 the project got a new director after the previously pegged lead Josh Trank dropped out to work on Star Wars.

Are you excited about any of these movies? Which games do you think deserve a big-screen adaptation? Share your thoughts in the comments and forum.