Movies based off video games

[Dagger Dias]

No, this is not a thread to bash movies based off video games such as the disasters we got with the live action versions of Street Fighter or Super Mario Bros.... This thread is about us coming up with our own ideas for a movie based off a video game of our choice.

The rules are simple. Pick a video game you want to base a movie off of, describe how similarly to the game it would play out, would it be a series or a stand alone film? Also, pick at least one celebrity from the movie industry to be in it and explain why you would assign them to that particular character.

I'll go first, my video game based movie would be a live action version of Final Fantasy 6. I'd deviate from the game here and there since the game is so long, only including the more important events from the game. I would cast Jim Carrey as Kefka because he would be great at portraying Kefka's more insane moments in a way that comes off both silly and evil at the same time. The sidequests from the world of ruin half would probably mostly not make the cut, or else this would end up longer than Lord of the Rings. It'd be a fun film experience for RPG fans and a way for people that aren't fans of those games to be able to see the great story.

What about the rest of you?

 

[JWGunslinger]

First off I have to say awesome thread Dagger, I actually was just thinking about this the other day. My choice would have to be a movie based off Red Dead Redemtion
The first time I played this game all I could think about was how cool it would be as a movie, it has a great story for a video game and I think it could have success with the right cast. I had a tough time deciding on who should play the main role of John Marston, my number one pick would be Jeff Bridges(maybe in his 30's) but that is obviously out of the question. So my top two choices are both men who starred in Inglorious Basterds, Brad Pitt and Michael Fassbender. I believe both of these men could do a wonderful job playing the rustic outlaw turned rancher who is forced to help the government track down his old gang. I would love to see this movie follow the game as close as possible, but a few changes would have to be made to keep it from going back and forth. I legitimatly want this movie to be made, and if someone doesnt soon then I will.

 

[Slowdude]

My first thought would be Half Life. I've been thinking of one for years actually. I have no idea of any actors who could play the small amount of characters in the game (As there's Gordon, Alyx, Eli, Kliener, GMan, Breen, Barney, Vortigaunts, Male and Female Citizens). As a matter of fact I'd probably split the game into two movies. The first one being Grodon's awake from stasis and with it ending with the teleport out of Nova Prospect. The second movie could feature Gordon/Alyx (until she is captured)/Barney fighting the combine and the striders until Gordon makes his way into the Citadel with the final scene ending the way the game ends. Thats just a brief description but damn it I'm going to make a long one in the spoiler tags below. The biggest problem with the movie would be the lack of dialog as Gordon would be the only one on screen for the most part of the movie and being a mute, if he talked it'd kind of ruin his character.

Half Life 2 Movie 1 & 2

Spoiler

I'll just put the basic structure. The start of the movie would feature Gordon waking up after 20 years of Stasis walking through the train station and meeting up with Barney within the first couple of minutes. Maybe dedicate a minute or two exploring the city showing off the Citadel, The Combine doing their thing and a Strider walking around. Within the first 10 minutes or so you'd meet up with Alyx and proceed to Kliener's lab where Alyx teleports to Black Mesa East while Lamarr screws up Gordon's teleport. So from the start of the movie until the failed teleport it'd take 20 minutes or so.

Now the first hard part of the movie begins as its essentially Gordon alone fighting and escaping from the Combine through the canels and in the air boat. These being the longest parts of the game I'd cut this part down dramatically probably just showing a couple of minutes running through the canels and both stops with human resisitance with the air boat. That way we can meet with two vortigaunts. This part of the movie could end with the hunter chopper being shot down and the arrival at Black Mesa. I'd say.. waste 10-15 minutes on this part.

Now once Gordon arrives at Black Mesa East we can finally meet with Eli, Judith, Alyx and Dog. Spend ten minutes or so explaining why the world is the way it is. Of course while Gordon, Alyx and Dog are playing in the yard the Combine invade the place and Gordon ends up in good ol ravenholm. Gordon plows through the zombies, Father Gregory could probably make some more appearances throughout Ravenholm resulting in the second "boss battle" of sorts. (Gordon and Gregory vs allot of Headcrab zombies). The scene ends with Gordon walking off and turning back to see Gregory kicking the zombies ass.

I'd say we are about 50 minutes into the movie at this point. Enough time to explain why the world is the way it is. So Gordon walks up from the headcrab infested mine and walks along the train yard and disposes of some Combine. Alyx tells him to take the coast to Nova Prospect to help her try and free Eli whose been captured. You get the buggy. This would only take 5 minutes at most.

Gordon jumps in the buggy. Drives... fights off some combine... fights off the antlions.... kills a couple of gunships in some dramatic scenes.... Sandtraps.... Gordon gets bugbait... Listen's to some Vorts and Citizens at the out post for a bit... Arrives and attacks Nova Prospect with the antlions... Meets up with Alyx... I'd say this would take 30 - 40 minutes.

Gordon and Alyx fight the combine. Find Eli. More fighting. Find Judith. Judith betrays and teleports to the citadel with Eli. Gordon and Alyx fight some more combine. Jump in the teleporter and Nova Prospect explodes just as they make their dramatic escape to conclude the first movie. The final part could take another 20-30 minutes or so.

The second movie. Gordon and Alyx appear in Klieners lab a week after they teleported. Kliener quickly explains whats been going on. Alyx stays with Kliener to help him get out of the city. Gordon goes with Dog. Dog flies off with the gunship he attacks. Gordon gets help from some citizens (We could add some actual characters here as it wouldn't really matter). Gordon fights his way through the city and meets up with Alyx. Alyx helps open a path towards the inner city but gets kidnapped. Could probably waste 20 - 30 minutes on this.

Gordon continues his fight against the combine and zombies. Meets up with some more citizens. More fighting. Meets Barney. They take down the center grid. Gordon goes rambo on a bunch of striders. Gordon runs for a bit then goes rambo on more striders. Barney and Dog arrive. Dog opens a path into the citadel. Gordon finally gets in. I'd say another 30 - 40 minutes here. Unlike the first movie where allot has to be cut down I'm expanding the final couple of chapters as allot more happens in them.

Gordon gets captured. The gravity gun (yes Gordon would have it the entire time) gets upgraded. Gordon rambo's through the citadel. Gordon gets captured again. Judith betrays Breen. Breen tries to escape. Gordon and Alyx chase him. Gordon stops Breen's escape. Breen dies. Citadel explodes and cliff hanger as you're put back into stasis. Easily another 30 minutes here. The second movie would be shorter then the first.

I didn't add everything but through out the movie Breen Cast's will be heard. GMan will appear where he normally does. You could probably add some minor characters as Citizen's who could reappear during the start of the movie and at BME then reappear in the second movie as apart of the war. The zombies could be seen more of a nuisance to the main characters while a big threat and a big killer of minor characters and Combine. While I'm at it I'm going to add in episode 1 and 2, being movie 3 and 4 as I am extremely bored right now.

Episode 1 Movie 3

Spoiler

Starts with Vortigaunts saving Alyx from the Citadel explosion followed by trapping the GMan and rescuing Gordon from Stasis. Dog digs Gordon up and he and Alyx talking to Eli and Kliener. They come to the conclussion that they have to stop the citadel which is currently getting ready to have a meltdown to halt it to help more citizen's escape. Gordon and Alyx are tossed back into the Citadel. This could take 10 - 15 minutes or so.

Gordon and Alyx make their way through the citadel, they halt the meltdown and escape via train which derails underground. (I'd put 20 minutes towards this) We'd get introduced to the Advisors during this time and learn of Judith's message.

Put 10-15 minutes into Gordon and Alyx's fight against the zombies and some ant lion to get to the surface. The moment they reach the surface the Combine attack. Gordon and Alyx meet some Citizens and learn whats going on (the citizens trying to escape the city and being held back by the combine). We can meet up with Barney again. Since the combine are after Gordon and Alyx Gordon and Alyx take a separate longer route to the train station so more citizen's can escape. Another 20 - 30 minutes or so with this.

Gordon and Alyx's fight through the hospital against Combine, Zombies and a gunship could take another 10 - 15 minutes. Put another 10 - 15 minutes into Gordon/Barney/Alyx covering for Citizens who are trying to get to the train while being hampered by combine forces (make it much larger then what we had in the game).

Barney and the last of the citizens escape on train while Gordon and Alyx stay back to distract the combine. Alyx gets separated from Gordon as a Strider arrives. Gordon has to solo this Strider which has a big advantage due to the small area. Gordon kills the strider. He joins up with Alyx. They jump on a train and set off. As they look out in the distance with Advisors flying over the citadel explodes and as the explosion radius expands it derails the train leaving the movie in yet another cliff hanger. We can get 10 minutes out of the strider fight another another couple of minutes escaping on train and getting derailed. Yet again another hour and a half movie.

Episode 2. Movie 4.

Spoiler

Gordon and Alyx wake up after the train derailment. They see the super portal being formed over the destroyed City 17. They get in communication with White Forest. Learn they hold the key to stop the super portal. The combine find them. Alyx is critically injured. Vort arrives. Gordon makes his way to the hold out where Gregs and Sheckley are. Gordon/Gregs/Sheckley fight off antlions. Some more vort's arrive. Epic Vorts/Gordon/Gregs/Sheckley fight happens. Gordon sets off with the first Vort to get the extract from the antlion's nest. Easily a good 30 minutes here.

Cut down on Gordon and the Vort's adventure to about 5-10 minutes to get the extract. They return and heal Alyx. GMan has a heart to heart talk with Gordon. Gordon, alyx and the first Vort head to the surface and see the combine moving north to white forest. They fight some antlion guards (they would appear three times earlier, two in nova prospect and one during episode 1 (the 3rd movie). They reach the town with the car and I'd going to skip the zombie town completely here. With the zombie town cut out I'd put 10 minutes or so from reaching the surface to getting the car with the hear to heart with GMan and getting to the surface lasting only 3-4 minutes.

Gordon and Alyx's driving through the country side could take 20 - 30 minutes I'd say. Big parts being the first fight against Hunters, Finding a Advisor and the chaos that ensures. Out running the hunter chopper and defeating it.

We arrive at white forest where Dog kills the Strider. (5 - 10 minutes here). They meet up with Kliener/Eli and the new character Magnuson. Magnuson has you stop the combine who have invaded the 2nd silo, fight ensures some more hunters die taking 20 minutes i guess. Gordon, Alyx, Eli and Kliener find out what Judith's message is (Borealis belonging to Aperture Science). Gordon and Eli have a talk, Gordon goes out in the field where the final Strider/Hunter fight with the Magnuson devices happens. Another good 25-30 minutes here.

They can launch the rocket, stop the super portal, Gordon and Alyx go into the room where the helicopter is as they go to find Judith and the Borealis. Advisors arrive, kill Eli. End of the movie.

Now my times for all four parts are just estimates. Things can be added in the 2nd/3rd movie proposals and removed in the 1st/4th parts. Essentially it'd have to stick to the games for the most part while removing allot of the unnecessary puzzles and side tracks that were only added to make the game "harder". I'd say Four Movies being 90 - 10 minutes each could get the point of Half Life 2, Episode 1 and Episode 2 across. Of course the main problem will be during the first movie where it would mostly be Gordon alone and mute for the most part. Gordon defiantly has to be a mute or all the mystique of the character would be lost.

Damn I was bored.

 

[Kermit]

I'd love to see the live action Halo movie that has been apparently in the "works," for some time now, finally come into fruition. But i'm going to be greedy and pick one that will never be made into a movie in a million years.

I would love to see an animated movie, or an anime made of Kingdom Hearts. It would be awesome to the long time fans of the series, but i'm afraid in the end it would up being a bomb. The concept is just so fascinating that i would like them to dive deeper into the concept of keyblades and heartless. While I am still heavily anticipating Kingdom Hearts 3, which will be the sole reason why i buy a PS3, i would love to see an anime or animated movie pop up.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

I would like to see a live-action movie of GTA: Vice City or San Andreas.

I think that a story following the life of Tommy Vercetti would be awesome, as would one based on CJ in San Andreas. There are plenty of stories from the games that could be transformed to the big screen, and Samuel L Jackson could play the corrupt cop from San Andreas in the real movie as he did on the same, and Ray Liotta could play Vercetti.

I am surprised that noone has released a GTA film already, the game series has been a phenomenal success

 

[ABMorales787]

Soul Reaver. If you played the games and understand it's plot then you can pretty much think it's something out of your standard book series of today. Huge plot with all sort of plot twists and such. How could you not stretch the 5 Legacy Of Kain games into a Harry Potter-sized film project?

 

[Captain Morgan Freeman]

If theres one game thats should get its own movie it's Metal Gear Solid

If youve ever played the game you'l know its pretty much a movie in its own right. The latest game had over 10 hours of cutscenes pretty much filling the whole blue ray disc for the ps3.

Its got a great story that could be transferred to the big screen. In fact there was plans to make a movie, David hayter the voice of solid snake wrote the script(he's also written the script to the x-men series and the watchmen) but universal turned it down as they wanted someone else to write it. Once konami heard this the pulled out of a deal with universal straight away so we may never get to see the movie but i hope some other movie studio picks up the idea.

As for getting a celebrity i recently saw this photo online

Some people may disagree but i think theres a damm close resemblance between Solid Snake and Hugh Jackman and ive always liked Jackman's work as an actor. Also Jackman did play wolverine in x-men which David Hayter wrote so theres that connection.

So yeah Metal Gear Solid gets my vote make it happen Konami!

 

[LSN80]

Bioshock. Andrew Ryan is one of the most fascinating video game characters Ive seen in all my years of playing. I think it would make for a phenomenal sci/fi movie, and could be quite good if the characters are developed as well in the movie as they are in the video game.

The story is obviously there, and the characters are phenomenal. Andrew Ryan as the founder of the dystopian underground city of Rapture would need to be played by a complex actor, as would the character who played the main antagonist in that of Atlas/Frank Fontaine. The character of Jack, the main protagonist, could be played by a Matt Damon type actor who crashes on a plane and has no idea who he is or why he's in Rapture, something he's familar playing through the Bourne Trilogy. Vincent Cassell is a very diverse actor who could play the villanous Fontaine very well, and Al Pacino would work as the complex and secretive Andrew Ryan. Anyone whose played the game knows the complexities of all the characters and the actors I picked could handle them quite well, I would think. As for Dr. Bridget Tennabaum, it would take a motherly type, so I would use a Helen Mirren.

I think I read somewhere that a BioShock film is in the making for 2013, which Im both highly interested seeing, and to whose casted as well!

 

[Chicago1989]

Yes, I would love to see a Bioshock movie. That would be awesome, especially with the scenery and special effects. And who wouldn't want to see a Big Daddy go berserk with surround sound? Imagine that

Another one would be Heavy Rain. The game itself is like watching a movie, but imagine it with actual actors?

A movie on Fallout I would like to see as well...

 

[Slowdude]

Oh damn I'm bored again and this has also been in my head for a while. My next suggestion would be a movie from the same world as Half Life that being Portal. This time I'm suggesting something different instead of a full game transition (both games would be quite boring as it'd just be Chell solving puzzles for the entire length of a movie)... So anyway instead of focusing on the events of the games themselves go back and focus on the time of Glados's creation.

Just in case people haven't played through portal 2 and want to but don't want to be spoiled I will put these in spoilers.

Spoiler

I think the basic format would be showing the rise of Aperture Science the decline due to Aperture Science being well a terrible company. Their competition with Black Mesa. Have all this leading till the day Glados is activated and kills everyone. I'd say focusing on Cave Johnson's Success, Failure and eventual death as the at least first part of the movie (which we learn from pre recorded messages in portal 2). The next part could focus on the team working on Glados and Doug Ratman (who didn't actually work on Glados but he was employed at aperture science and is the only other human character in the series). The end could focus on Ratman running from Glados for seven months after her take over. Show him watching over Chell during her testing and with her slaying of Glados. The movie could end like the rat lab comic ends with Doug Ratman fighting off through turrets to try and save Chell's life before seemingly perishing in a relaxation vault after being shot by a turret. The movie could end with some cheesy future clips of Portal 2 eventually showing Chell escaping to the outside. to end the movie on a happy note show the image you can find in the game which is Ratman seemingly on the moon with the companion cube.

It'd be better then my bad explanation but I think it could work. Possibly... maybe... I don't think a movie based on the actual game would work though as hours of just Chell solving puzzles while being insulted by Glados (and Wheatley) wouldn't be as entertaining.

 

[SorgFamily]

I know that when GTA III came out it I thought, this would make a great movie. Then I saw "Payback" (which was actually a remake of "Point Blank") and realized that there was no need. In the movie a guy is shot by his wife and betrayed by his partner during an armored truck heist, lives through it, deals with the mob, drug dealers, crooked cops, and Chinese triads to get revenge upon his partner

Spoiler

his wife died earlier of a drug overdose

and get his $70,000 dollars back (which the amount is used to great hilarity throughout the film). Obviously a few differences but a pretty good non-purpose adaptation.

To get back on topic though I'd like to see a "Mirror's Edge" movie. Not as well known as the previous choices but good material with action sequence opportunities abound. If you've never played it, it's about a "runner" (basically someone who transports mail by foot because e-mail and phone lines are highly monitored by the government) who tries to save her sister after she's framed for killing a mayoral candidate. Then you add on the over-under tones about totalitarian governments and so called "utopia's" and I think you got a pretty good movie.

For the lead Milla Jovovich immediately came to mind. I have no idea for her sister.