At one point in the 1990s, adapting video games into movies seemed like an easy way to make money for studios looking to attract the coveted teen/young adult male audience. However, super mario bros.. (1993) and street fighter (1994) was a critical disappointment and a box office flop. With comic book movies gaining huge audiences and even picking up some Oscars and nominations, it’s clear that video games could follow a similar route.
If you want to create a movie or TV pilot with a video game feel, check out these 10 scripts.
Script for this article
super mario bros. (1993)
screenwriter: Parker Bennett, Terry Longte and Ed Solomon
Decades before the blockbuster animated film was released, super mario bros. There is a live-action version starring Bob Hoskins as Mario and John Leguizamo as Luigi. At this time ninja turtles (1990) and batman (1989) was a major comic book hero that performed well at the box office, and the studio found enough interest to adapt Nintendo’s blockbuster game into a movie.
In fact, it doesn’t look that different from the animated film, as both tell the story of two down-on-her-luck but optimistic plumbers who find themselves in an alternate universe. However, the 1993 version follows the Mario brothers as they try to stop the evil King Koopa from taking over the world.
Download the script!
Read more: Game Over: The Worst Video Game Movie Ever
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001)
screenwriter: Patrick Massett and John Hinman
One of the most anticipated action video game adaptations of the time was 2001’s Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. This movie is pure 2001, when action movies dominated the summer and headlined by big Hollywood stars. Angelina Jolie was one of the most popular actresses at the time, and her decision to play a popular video game character showed that the entertainment industry believed in the power of these adaptations.
The film tells the story of Lara Croft, an archaeologist like Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) who finds herself on a treasure hunt for two objects known to control time. of ancient artifacts. Of course, she has to recover the treasure before the movie’s villains get to her.
Download the script!
silent Hill (2006)
screenwriter: Roger Avary
silent Hill is a movie based on the survival horror game where players find themselves in the haunted town of Silent Hill. In video games, the protagonist is an “everyman” who encounters a cult in his town and must learn the origins of those close to them, such as their daughters, wives, and even themselves.
The film is similar in that Rose da Silva (Radha Mitchell) ends up in Silent Hill because her ailing daughter keeps mentioning the place and she thinks there’s something there Help her. However, when she arrived near the town, she encountered an accident and woke up to find that her daughter was missing.
As Rose searches the town for her daughter, she discovers there’s something sinister in the seemingly abandoned town, and they don’t like her snooping around.
Download the script!
Read more: Horror Remake: Remakes of the Scariest Horror Movies of All Time
Resident Evil: Extinction (2007)
screenwriter: Paul W.S. Anderson
resident Evil is a popular video game that dates back to the mid-1990s. In 2002, the film was adapted, starring Milla Jovovich as the protagonist, tasked with shooting zombies and trying to survive. The first movie was so successful that the series spanned multiple games and movie sequels. Resident Evil: Extinction This third film (of six in total) follows heroine Alice (Jovovich) as she travels across the Nevada desert to take down an evil corporation that runs a genetics laboratory.
If you want to write a zombie apocalypse script or want to learn how to write a blockbuster action sci-fi movie, check out this script.
Download the script!
Mortal Kombat (2021)
screenwriter: Greg Russell and Dave Callaham
when Mortal Kombat It took arcades and video game systems by storm in the 1990s, and it was only a matter of time before its cultural impact filtered into the film industry. The first film was a moderate success at the time and even spawned several sequels.
This would have been nearly 20 years ago Mortal Kombat Trying to attract a new generation of gamers. It’s not easy to turn a two-player fight to the death game with no big story into a long-form narrative, but Mortal Kombat Do this by taking a few “hero” characters and having them compete in a race to save the universe from a bunch of heels.
Download the script!
the last of us (2023 – )
Show creator: Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin
the last of us Originally released in 2013, it is an action-adventure game that tells the story of a man who loses his daughter after a mutant fungus outbreak infects much of the world. Joel travels across a post-apocalyptic landscape to care for Ellie, an immune girl who may be able to save humanity.
The TV series is very close to this concept, with several parts of the video game directly inspiring the series. Joel’s (Pedro Pascal) mission is to take Ellie (Bella Ramsey), humanity’s last hope, through a quarantine area with suspicious people and bring her to a shelter.
Download the script!
Fallout (2024- )
Show creator: Graham Wagner and Geneva Robertson-Deworet
fall out It tells the story of survivors living in underground bunkers in Los Angeles after a nuclear explosion. When a band of bandits storm one of the shelters, Lucy (Ella Purnell) escapes into an unforgiving wasteland filled with radiation, mutated monsters, and the lawless society left on the surface.
The Emmy-nominated television show is based on a series of popular role-playing video games and includes locations such as Southern California, Boston and Washington, D.C., after nuclear war.
Download the script!
Sonic the Hedgehog (2020)
screenwriter: Pat Casey and Josh Miller
The video game version follows a blue hedgehog racing around the world, collecting as many rings as possible, and then facing a series of enemies at the end of the level.
There really isn’t much to the video game’s story, which means the filmmakers of the successful franchise had plenty of room to develop Sonic and the people he meets on Earth.
The fun family film became the third highest-grossing film of 2020, immediately sparking demand for a sequel (and eventually a third film). The movie follows Sonic as he befriends a local police officer who helps him recover his lost ring. In the midst of their shenanigans, video game supervillain Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey) pursues them, hoping to capture Sonic and his technologically advanced ring.
Uncharted (2022)
screenwriter: Rafe Judkins, Art Marcum and Matt Holloway
Another movie based on a video game Lost Ark Guide (1981) The atmosphere is Uncharted (2022). The film tells the story of Nathan (Tom Holland) who is recruited by a treasure hunter to help track down Magellan’s fortune. While Sully (Mark Wahlberg) is far from the most trustworthy ally, the two still work together to uncover clues, evade bad guys, and find hidden treasure. This video game series is filled with treasure-hunting adventures, perfect for expansion into the cinematic universe.
The action film is a test of Holland’s appeal beyond Spider-Man and brings the character closer to Spider-Man’s superhero personality through innocence and gravity-defying stunts.
twisted metal (2023 — )
Show creator: Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick and Michael Jonathan Smith
video games twisted metal Centered around a demolition derby-style showdown, players select their vehicle and attempt to be the last survivor in an all-out battle using guns, mines, and other weapons.
In the TV series, the character of John Doe (Anthony Mackie) must deliver a mysterious package across the wasteland, meeting a series of characters along the way who he must befriend or defeat. Show creators have to build concepts and stories around the game without a main narrative.
—
Just like comic book movies, developing video games into movies and TV shows has proven to be mostly successful, and is a great way for screenwriters to study the art of world-building, character development, and how to adapt intellectual property material.
Read more: Lights, camera, puppets! Best movies based on realistic toys
