Video game movies have, traditionally, been pretty awful, but there seems to be a resurgence of video game-themed films making their way to the big screen of late, and they do seem to be improving, with films likeDetective Pikachureleasing to fair reviews. While there are certainly exceptions to this, it’s a pretty good time to be a fan of video game movies.Space Invadersis the latest video game franchise getting the movie treatment, with Greg Russo writing the script for the film. Russo is also handling theupcomingMortal Kombatmovieas well as a number of other video game projects.
As of right now, there aren’t any details as to when theSpace Invadersmovie will actually release, or even enter production for that matter. Needless to say, it’ll likely be quite some time before audiences get any solid details about the film, as it seems like adapting such a simple game will take a fair amount of work to turn into a cohesive story that stays true to the experience. The worst case scenario would be a film of the same quality as 2015’sPixels,which currently sits at 16% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Russo working on the project is a good sign, even though his other video game projects are radically different than what aSpace Invadersadaptation will likely entail. The writer is currently working on aMortal Kombatmovie, which isset to have an R rating, and has previously worked on theResident Evilmovie franchise. While it seems unlikely thatSpace Invaderswill be as gory as either of those franchises, at least Russo has experience adapting games to the big screen.
It’s interesting to see just how many properties are being adapted to film and television these days.The WitcherNetflix seriesis just on the horizon, and it seems like another new project is announced every other day. Ultimately, it’s a sign of just how culturally relevant video games have become, which is a good thing for the industry. Hopefully, film studios will be able to learn from past mistakes and begin putting out even better movies based on the franchises gamers love.
