Why?

Many are often understandably apprehensive about turning games into movies because a game fundamentally puts you in control of the experience. There are often tight parameters regarding choices but your actions dictate the game’s pace – something which no movie can replicate. However, the modern Grand Theft Auto series has excelled at telling stories that feel right at home on the big screen. With its focus on character development, visual spectacle and twisting narrative threads that are just as engaging to watch as they are to play through. 

Additionally, a GTA film’s more limited runtime would allow for a more precise distillation of what makes the series great rather than allowing for all the fun but often pointless overindulgences featured in many of the new games. Simply put, it is possible for GTA to become the basis for a good movie. 

What Makes Grand Theft Auto?

But what elements should a GTA movie include to capture the series’ mood?

1. Original Character-driven Crime Story

A GTA movie should tell an original story to avoid unfavourable game comparisons. It should focus on creating an engaging main character (given the toxic masculine mainstream image of GTA a woman lead would be a good idea) whose life is thoroughly explored through a well-plotted crime narrative.

2. Incisive Commentary

Despite its popular image of indulging in mindless sex and violence GTA also features sharp social commentary. Whether it be GTA IV’s exploration of the alienation forced on people emigrating to America, San Andreas’ examination of racism and police brutality or the series sending up American greed. A GTA movie should focus on delivering real-world critiques to keep its sting.

3. Detailed World

GTA’s game worlds are full of things to experience. Radio stations, in-universe films and TV shows, comedy shows, nightclubs and more. Those making a GTA film will have to put a lot of thought into the world’s details and how they serve the film’s story to make it feel as lived-in as the games.

4. Clever Controversy

Whether it’s the hot coffee mod or the increasing revelry in graphic violence Grand Theft Auto often courts controversy. Though as mentioned, underpinning this material is a commitment to commenting on social issues. Even if the writers fail sometimes, thus a GTA film shouldn’t be afraid to include edgy material. As long as it furthers its themes and its use is carefully considered. It shouldn’t just be needlessly offensive.

5. Humour

Any Grand Theft Auto movie needs a funny streak. The series often uses hyperbolic parody and its characters’ darkly humorous personalities to deliver the series’ dark themes and narratives. Many would argue the sense of humour is what really gets audiences to engage with GTA. 

Getting Away With It 

Lastly, let’s hypothesise about some creatives who could make a good job of a GTA adaptation.

Rose Glass

Her latest film Love Lies Bleeding shows Rose Glass can make a violent character-focused crime film that comments on social issues. If she was given an even bigger canvas to work with she could easily make an interesting GTA adaptation.

Dev Patel

Dev Patel’s Monkey Man is an excellent bone-crunching crime film that deals with interesting political themes about oppression, violence and patriarchy and gives us a very fleshed-out world. With a bigger budget, more humour and a willingness to push everything even further Dev Patel could easily make a GTA film. 

Martin Scorsese

Scorsese’s work has greatly influenced GTA already. With him having produced great character-focused, comically tinged, socially conscious crime films like King of Comedy and Wolf of Wall Street and his great ability to build detailed worlds that become characters in themselves Martin Scorsese would probably be everyone’s dream choice to bring GTA to the big screen.

Personally, I think a GTA film is on the horizon. So long as the makers include the elements crucial to the games’ success a GTA film would be a welcome cinematic sight.

Also Read: Is Hollywood Starting To Take Video Games Seriously?

The post Grand Theft Auto: The Movie – Coming Soon? appeared first on Big Picture Film Club.

Today I’m going to list five unadapted video games that should receive the film treatment. I will then say why they should be adapted and give suggestions on how the adaptation could be handled.

Metroid

Why?: Metroid is one of gaming’s most beloved franchises and features Samus Aran, one of its most iconic women leads. To not adapt it would be heresy.

How?: The first Metroid film should remain small-scale. The basic plot would follow the first game, where Samus is sent to stop Space Pirates using Metroids to create new weapons. It could easily be set in a huge laboratory. We would steadily see more of Samus’ abilities throughout her journey. But Samus’ personality should be foregrounded to make big action moments more impactful. Future Metroid films could then increase the action’s scope as the first film will have invested us in Samus’ character.

Grand Theft Auto

Why?: GTA is incredibly popular/controversial but it also tells diverse cinematic stories. Which skewer the American dream and showcases the violence at its heart. Meaning GTA could easily be cinematically adapted and it could hit hard in the current climate.

How? A GTA film should tell an original narrative, to avoid direct game comparisons. Perhaps focusing on a woman character to deconstruct the toxic masculine image associated with the games. The other key elements are creating engaging characters, an emotionally involving, comedic story, and building a detailed world that satirizes American capitalism in pointed controversial ways. This way fans will have more to chew on beyond simple shock value.

Prototype

Why?: A Prototype film would be a genre lover’s dream. The premise of a virus transforming people into monsters and its focus on bloody carnage would satisfy horror gore hounds. But its superpowered main character and fast-paced action could also give it a unique space in the superhero market.

How?: The games provide several interesting story directions. Seeking vengeance for a murdered loved one or recovering one’s memory both have great dramatic possibilities. However, a Prototype film should prioritize having energetic direction. Also, crucially, it should include practical gore effects. Think Evil Dead meets Spider-Man.

Journey

Why?: Journey’s wordless story of a robed figure journeying towards a mountain and slowly discovering what happened to a prior civilization could really demonstrate the visual storytelling side of video game adaptations.

How?: To make a Journey film there needs to be grand visuals, an expressive main character, and a beautiful score. It could easily be told as a beautifully animated tale, like The Red Turtle. However, with ambitious creatives, it could be an awe-inspiring live-action epic. Imagine Dune (2022)’s creative team handling this adaptation. 

Ikenfell

Why?: The story of a non-magical girl searching for her sister in a magical school where she discovers her previously unknown powers has all the hallmarks of a new successful fantasy franchise. Plus the game’s focus on characters of colour and LGBTQ identities provides a wonderful opportunity for needed visibility in a big-screen franchise.

How?: An Ikenfell film should be live-action to showcase real-world representation. And would be best served by focusing on the mystery story and characters rather than style. Although if the Wachowski sisters wanted to direct another family film their creative flare would be welcome.

Those are just some games that deserve their own film. Which games would you like to see become films and why?

Also Read: Adam Sipione Unravels the Inspiring Story of Shenmue In His New Documentary

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The post Five Video Games That Need To Be Made Into Films appeared first on Big Picture Film Club.

Bioshock

A plane crash survivor stumbles upon the underwater city of Rapture, imagined as a utopia but now descended into anarchy, inhabited by terrifying humans and sinister monsters. From the start, Bioshock looked amazing, released in 2007 game designers were putting as much effort into “set design” as any filmmaker. The first game featured monsters so compelling – the gigantic hulking Big Daddies and the Little Sisters they protected – that in the sequel players took control of a Big Daddy.

Who Should Direct – surely a job for Guillermo Del Toro, creating a bizarre but beautiful world and especially suited if the Big Daddy was to be the monster-hero protagonist.

Grand Theft Auto

There are lots of GTA games, some which are undeniable high points of video games, but I want a specific game – the first Grand Theft Auto. Released in 1997 it’s hard to explain the dizzying level of joy this game delivered there had been nothing like this before. More important than plot, acting or even making sense will be capturing that sense of anarchic fun this original had.

Who Should Direct – It would be very easy to tip over into the grim horror of the at times amoral GTA world, instead bring in the genius comic-action director Edgar Wright.

Red Dead Redemption

Another game franchise that already looks like a movie – YouTube is full of videos of people simply riding around the beautiful scenery. A western set in the dying days of the Wild West with little room for cowboys and outlaws. A morally nebulous world of crime and adventure, working for the authorities as often as fighting them and often little hope of every actually getting to any sort of better life.

Who Should Direct– John Hillcoat – looking at the westerns and not quite westerns that exist in multiple layers of moral ambiguity his back catalogue would make him an excellent choice.

Super Mario Kart

We’ve had a Super Mario film and I think we all agree it was terrible but there has been no Super Mario Kart film, surely one of the best video games of all time. I propose a nightmarish horror-action extravaganza of monsters, dinosaurs and plumbers battling it out on dazzlingly bright M.C Escher inspired racetracks full of insane bursts of speed and turtle shell violence.

Who would direct – With Mad Max: Fury Road George Miller brought us a brilliant film that was one long car chase, I’m sure he could do one long car race on a similar scale.

Shadow of the Colossus

A curious and unusual game, Shadow of the Colossus had players travel the world and kill sixteen (mostly) gigantic creatures – known as Colossi, in doing so the life of another person will be saved. The departure from most games is that there are no towns to explore, no NPCs to interact with, no legions of lesser enemies to wipe out – you simply fight the Colossi. Each enemy is different and designed with a huge amount of detail and depth, each way to kill them is different.

Who Should Direct – there are two options – first a more traditional fantasy take helmed by Peter Jackson who if nothing else can do spectacle. The second would be Paul Thomas Anderson in a There Will Be Blood style – long periods of not much talking, it looks stunning and brief moments of shocking intensity – Daniel Day-Lewis could even play one of the colossi.

Also Read: When Great Video Games Become Lacklustre Movies

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The post Great Video Games That Should Be Adapted Into A Movie appeared first on Big Picture Film Club.