12 Video Games That Deserve Movie or TV Adaptations
Video game adaptations have become a consistent box office and streaming success, signaling a golden era for translating gaming properties to film and television. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’s achievement of $1 billion at the box office marks the second Super Mario film to reach that milestone in recent years, while the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise has similarly demonstrated strong theatrical performance. The trend extends beyond cinema to streaming platforms, where shows like The Last of Us and Fallout have generated significant critical and popular success. Fallout’s accelerated production schedule—with its third season recently beginning filming—indicates industry confidence in the franchise’s future.
This convergence of successful adaptations across media types has created an unprecedented opportunity for producers seeking quality gaming IP to develop. With decades of established game franchises and characters available, the backlog of potential source material remains extensive. Polygon’s new feature examines 12 video games ripe for adaptation, beginning with Diablo, suggesting that even veteran gaming franchises with entrenched fan bases remain compelling prospects for fresh interpretations across film and television. The shift reflects a broader industry recognition that video game adaptations, once considered commercially risky, have matured into a legitimate and profitable storytelling avenue.