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Which Movies Were Game Changers?
Hollywood has been mining literature for source material for years, often with excellent results — 11 literary adaptations were nominated for Academy Awards in 2012 alone — and comic books have inspired several of the most popular and successful movies in recent years. Video games, on the other hand, have proven to be difficult to successfully translate to film. Gamers are often more interested in a game's graphics or the ability to earn achievements than in its plot, so there is often little for the screenwriters to draw upon. As Corey May, co-founder of Sekretagent Productions explained to CNN, "It often comes down to money, as movie studios frequently choose to make films based on the franchises that sell the best, not those with the most cinematic potential."
Still, the success of the Resident Evil franchise — $893 million worldwide and counting— and the prospect of enticing the hundreds of millions of gamers around the world to turn out to see a movie based upon their favorite game keeps Hollywood going back to the video game well for more. Only days ago, it was announced that Ubisoft and New Regency's Assassin's Creed adaptation is moving forward with Michael Fassbender headlining, and there are dozens of other adaptations currently in development, which should be great news for movie fans and video game fans alike. Have there been some turkeys? Absolutely. More than a few, but, despite what CNN's video game expert may think, movies based on video games don't all "stink". In fact, some of them are downright badass. Help us select the video game movies that defied expectations by entertaining us instead of making us groan.
Rate the Top 10 Best Video Game Movie Adaptations >>
Posted 10.26.12 by BrentJS -
If there's ever been a good video game movie adaptation, someone please let us know. Is Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time about to become the first halfway decent one?
"As sword-and-sandal fantasy movies based on videogames and starring a buffed-up Jake Gyllenhaal go, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time goes pretty well."
— Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly"...it's sort of fun, certainly more so than the National Treasure pictures, as well as less manic (a little less) than the recent Mummy films."
— Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune"...a handsome, fast-paced and innocuous adventure that's easy to take but lacks epic scale."
— Ray Bennett, Variety"...the pic's lack of game-changing originality, distinguishing anarchic streak or 3D wow factor may relegate this to summertime also-ran status."
— Leslie Felperin, Variety"Prince of Persia isn't terrible. It has its moments, but they're fleeting. It's probably in the upper crust of video-game adaptations, though when you think back over the likes of Super Mario Brothers, Alone in the Dark, and BloodRayne ... that's not saying much."
— Sean O'Connell, filmcritic.comSEE ALSO: Gemma Arterton photo gallery -
Director Mike Newell's (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire) Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, a live-action adaptation of the classic Ubisoft video game series, opens in a few weeks and to promote it Disney has re-released several previously seen images in hi-res, along with a batch of new hi-res movie stills and behind-the-scenes photos from the set. Additionally, a series of six new action-packed video clips have been released.
watch the six Prince of Persia clips >> Posted 05.10.10 by BrentJS -
When it comes to the mix of movies being offered up, not much has changed since we previewed Summer 2010 blockbusters back in September 2009. The season is still packed with sequels, remakes, comic book adaptations, and 3-D.
Meaning, fans of action/adventure movies (11), comedies (8), and chick flicks (9) are in luck, as are parents looking for a way to entertain the kids (10). But the pickings are slim for horror fans (3) and those looking for some summer drama (6) or thrilling intrigue (5). Check 'em all out in our 2010 Summer Movie Guide.
Posted 05.04.10 by reelz -
Summer is when studios roll out all of their biggest, baddest, most blockbustery movies — a season that starts earlier each year, it seems. Disney and DreamWorks just released new posters to promote their summer fare.
First up, a very confrontational poster for Shrek Forever After) that has Shrek (Mike Myers) and his fellow ogres squaring off against Rumpelstiltskin (Walt Dohrn) and a gaggle of witches. In this fourth chapter, everyone's favorite ogre is duped by Rumpelstiltskin into signing a pact that creates an alternate version of Far Far Away, one in which Shrek and Fiona (Cameron Diaz) have never met. Eddie Murphy and Antonio Banderas also return as the voices of Donkey and Puss in Boots, respectively.
get more details about the new posters >> Posted 04.19.10 by BrentJS -
Three new images from Disney's Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time have made their way online. Two of the images show Jake Gyllenhaal in action as Prince Dastan, while the third image offers a behind-the-scenes look at the shoot.
In the first image, Prince Dastan acrobatically hides from armed pursuers both above and below him. In the second image, Prince Dastan holds the Dagger of Time, the only object capable of stopping the terrible Sands of Time that Prince Dastan unwittingly unleashed. The third image offers a reverse-angle look at Gemma Arterton as Princess Tamina as she is being shot from two different cameras.
Additionally, a new Russian-language poster for the Sands of Time has appeared online. Unlike the muted colors of the character-centric U.S. posters, the Russian poster is vibrant and depicts the epic scale of the movie.
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time was produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, directed by Mike Newell, and also stars Alfred Molina andSir Ben Kingsley.
Posted 03.05.10 by BrentJS -
Disney has released two new stills from director Mike Newell's (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire) Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, a live-action adaptation of the popular Ubisoft video game franchise. The stills seem carefully selected to appeal to the widest possible audience, with one still featuring Prince Dastan (played by Jake Gyllenhaal) in an action-packed fight scene, and the other showing Dastan and Princess Tamina (Gemma Arterton) in a more romantic scene.
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time takes place in a fantastical version of medieval Persia in which magic and sorcery are real. Young Prince Dastan is tricked by the evil Vizier Nizam (Sir Ben Kingsley) into unleashing the Sands of Time, a devastating power that destroys the kingdom and turns its denizens into demonic creatures. Driven by guilt, Prince Dastan teams with Princess Tamina to find the Dagger of Time, the only item capable of restoring the sands to the hourglass from which they came, thereby reversing the terrible curse that he helped unleash.
Posted 03.04.10 by BrentJS -
The second trailer for Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is available online and shows why Jake Gyllenhaal found working on the movie to be "really fun."
Mike Newell directs the adaptation of Ubisoft's popular video game franchise, which stars Gyllenhaal as Prince Dastan, who must join forces with Princess Tamina (Gemma Arterton) to stop the evil Nizam (Sir Ben Kingsley) from unleashing a sandstorm that could destroy the entire world.
Posted 03.03.10 by Ryan -
The mysterious poisoning death of former KGB spy Alexander Litvinenko was one of the most sensational news stories of 2006. Afforded political asylum from Russia in the United Kingdom, Litvinenko died of "acute radiation syndrome" three weeks after being exposed to polonium-210. On his deathbed, Litvienenko accused then-President and current Prime Minister of Russia, Vladimir Putin, with his murder.
If you think the story sounds like the plot of a spy movie, you would be right. Or rather, it will be, as two studios are looking to adapt the true-life espionage story for the big screen. Michael Mann (Public Enemies) announced that he planned to produce and direct an adaptation of Litvinenko's story for Sony back in January 2007. Now, Variety is reporting that Mike Newell, director of Disney's upcoming Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, will write and direct a second adaptation of Litvinenko's story for Warner Bros.
Newell's as-yet-untitled movie will use Alan Cowell's book The Terminal Spy as a basis for the script, which he is writing with the assistance of David Scarpa, the screenwriter recently tapped to reboot the Daredevil franchise. Producer Ollie Madden of Warner's London division acquired the rights to Cowell's book in January 2007 and will oversee the project.
Posted 02.15.10 by BrentJS -
The Saints drive down the field and take the lead, 13 to 10! And to celebrate the first time New Orleans gets in front, lets take a look at the commercial spot that just aired for Jake Gyllenhaal's newest vehicle, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time.
For those of you who don't know, this movie comes from a popular video game that originally debuted in 1989 on the Apple II computer, and has had many incarnations on various gaming systems since. It's set to hit the big screen May 28.
Posted 02.07.10 by reelz