Filmmakers adapting video games don’t have to be fans — but it helps

The movie industry is making more adaptations of video games than ever before, and the dynamics of the forms of media have changed. At GamesBeat Summit 2022, three panelists (moderated by Alexandra Del Rosario of Deadline Hollywood) covered the topic of transmedia and the future of game franchises, especially on film and TV.

Film adaptations of video games have had a thorny history. At one point it was something of a mark of pride for a game to get a film adaptation, but gamers (and filmgoers in general) also knew they couldn’t expect them to be good. David Stelzer, director of Unreal Engine Games Business and one of the panelists, said the oft-mocked quality of game-to-film adaptations came from the game creators themselves not having much control.