With the consistent critical and commercial success in recent years of projects as varied as The Last of Us, A Minecraft Movie, and the Sonic the Hedgehog trilogy, video game adaptations are beginning to overtake comic books as Hollywood’s go-to IP. Now, even arthouse titans A24 are getting involved, with an adaptation of Elden Ring reportedly in the works with Alex Garland (Warfare, 28 Years Later) on board to write and direct.
With so many untapped resources still out there, it’s not surprising that studios are racing to fill their rosters. From nostalgic gems to modern classics, let’s take a look at 10 of the most exciting video game adaptations on the horizon.
Elden Ring (TBA)
Depending on how you look at it, the vast open world and possibilities of Elden Ring could either be made for the cinematic experience or basically unadaptable. Directed by Hidetaka Miyazaki (the man responsible for the Dark Souls series) with world building by none other than Game of Thrones creator George R. R. Martin, Elden Ring has the potential to become a multi-film franchise, so all credit to A24 and writer-director Alex Garland for being bold enough to try. Garland will point to his work on Annihilation, a surreal science fiction novel from Jeff VanderMeer that he managed to wrangle into an entertaining two hour movie. How Garland fares with The Tarnished and The Land Between, however, will be fascinating to see.
Exit 8 (2025)
The freshest game-to-film adaptation in the pipeline is Kotake Create’s Exit 8 (based on the 2023 psychological horror game of the same name), which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival last month to a standing ovation and positive reviews. The story takes place in what appears to be a purgatorial metro tunnel, where a man must look out for “anomalies” or risk being trapped in an infinite loop. The film will be released in Japan this August, so keep an eye for it on VOD.
Super Mario World (April 3, 2026)
It might not have had the cultural impact of Barbie, the highest-grossing film of 2023, but with 1.36 billion dollars in ticket sales, The Super Mario Bros. Movie came a close second on that list. The film might not have charmed everyone, but a sequel was inevitable, and while plot details have been kept under wraps, Super Mario World suggests an even bigger adventure awaits for Chris Pratt and Charlie Day’s Italian-ish plumbers.
Street Fighter: The Movie (March 20, 2026)
Jason Momoa, Andrew Koji (Bullet Train), Noah Centineo (Warfare) and WWE star Roman Reigns are all rumored to be involved with Street Fighter: The Movie, a new adaptation of SEGA’s classic beat ’em up. Jean-Claude Van Damme’s Street Fighter (1994) still packs a lively punch, but 2009’s The Legend of Chun Li was a commercial flop, so the jury’s still out on this one.
Resident Evil (September 18, 2026)
Underappreciated on release but financially successful, Paul W. S. Anderson’s six Resident Evil movies have built a deserved cult and cinephile following over the years. The 2021 reboot Welcome to Racoon City and a the Resident Evil series for Netflix didn’t click with audiences in the same way, so fans will be hoping for a new approach from director Zach Cregger (Barbarian) and writer Shay Hatten (John Wick: Chapter 4). Little is known at this stage, but a rumored plot involving a courier suggests Resident Evil (2026) will be an origin story. Austin Abrams (Euphoria) is set to star.
Sonic The Hedgehog 4 (March 19, 2027)
You don’t often expect IP franchises to improve with each installment, but that really has been the case with the Sonic movies so far. How they will make do without Jim Carrey’s energy (whose performances never once felt like just a paycheck) is the main question that will hang over Sonic the Hedgehog 4. Casey, Miller and Wittington will once again provide the screenplay. Against the odds, they’ve yet to let us down.
The Legend of Zelda (March 26, 2027)
Given its obvious potential, it’s surprising that a Legend of Zelda film hasn’t happened already. Rumors of a Netflix series in 2015 were quickly squashed, but now a The Legend of Zelda film appears to be in the works with legendary game developer Shigeru Miyamoto and Marvel Studios founder Ari Arad producing, and Kingdom of The Planet of The Apes director Wes Ball in the hot seat.
Death Stranding (2027)
He might be a certified cinephile, but Hideo Kojima’s work has so far resisted the big screen treatment. There’s been talk of Metal Gear movies (with both Viggo Mortensen and Oscar Isaac attached) for years, but Death Stranding seems like the real deal. Announced in 2023 by A24 and now with Michael Sarnoski (Pig, A Quiet Place: Day One) attached to direct, Kojima San’s surreal but finely detailed post-apocalyptic world is the perfect fit for the cinematic treatment. If the producers can round up the same stars (Léa Seydoux, Mads Mikkelsen, and Guillermo del Toro all appeared in the game), it will have one hell of a cast.
Gears of War (TBA)
Until this month, not a whole lot had come to light about the Gears of War movie since Netflix announced that it picked up the rights to film the locust horde invasion back in 2022. Now it seems that the, erm, gears are finally in motion with former stuntman and Deadpool 2 director David Leitch in talks to direct with Dune co-writer Jon Spaihts on script duty. It’s early days, but that combination of light and dark sounds intriguing—at least Dave Bautista seems to think so.
Horizon Zero Dawn (TBA)
On stage at the CET convention in January 2025, PlayStation Productions head Asad Qizilbash announced that a live-action adaptation of Guerilla Games’ popular open worlder, Horizon Zero Dawn, was in production with Columbia Pictures. Uncharted, the studios’ last collaboration, made a decent profit without winning over too many fans, so let’s hope the Horizon Zero Dawn movie fares better. The robotic beasts and classic “hero’s quest” template seem like a no-brainer for blockbuster success, it’s just sad that the silky-voiced Lance Reddick, who passed away in 2023, won’t be around to reprise his role as Sylens.
The Sims (TBA)
Get your houseguests in the pool and take away that ladder because The Sims movie is coming. In 2024, it was announced that Margot Robbie’s LuckyChap would produce the popular game with Kate Herron (Loki, The Last of Us) on board to direct. Everything is being kept under lock and key, but given Robbie’s Barbie connection, we can expect a good dash of social commentary behind those iconic green diamonds.
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