Gamer's Outpost LLC

by Chris Reed

Video games are a big business, so it’s no surprise that Hollywood is working to turn a number of game franchises into films. After all, who doesn’t want a surefire hit? Below, we look at some of the most exciting video games that are getting the full Hollywood treatment in the coming years.

Assassin’s Creed

Planned Release Date: 2015

Ubisoft has been pumping out Assassin’s Creed games in a steady stream ever since the original’s 2007 debut. The story is all kinds of convoluted, but basically a man in modern times straps on a high-tech helmet and his consciousness is transported through time into the body of a historical assassin. The film is currently in preproduction, but it’s set to star the debonair Michael Fassbender and should come out sometime in 2015.

Hitman: Agent 47

Planned Release Date: 2015

The first movie based on the Hitman game franchise was a self-titled snoozefest starring Timothy Olyphant as the bald, barcoded hero. This upcoming reboot puts Zachary Quinto in the complicated hero’s shoes as he is sent on a mission to kill a young woman. Things don’t go as planned, and the heroes have to switch gears and formulate a new course of action together. The movie is set to open on February 27, 2015.

Splinter Cell

Planned Release Date: 2015

This Tom Clancy game franchise stars a gray-haired black ops agent named Sam Fisher who can usually be found sneaking his way through enemy territory. The film version will skew younger, with 36-year-old Tom Hardy playing the lead role. And while the movie is still in development, it’s set to be directed by Doug Liman (Edge of Tomorrow, Bourne Identity), who wants to see it filmed and released by the end of 2015.

Ratchet & Clank

Planned Release Date: 2015

These two unlikely heroes (a pointy-eared lombax and a tiny robot) star in a popular series of PlayStation games released over the past twelve years. The games are cartoonish and fun, with sci-fi stories that are infused with humor. The movie is reportedly based on the story of the original game, and follows the two heroes as they meet each other and go on to save the galaxy from an evil businessman named Chairman Drek.

Sly Cooper

Planned Release Date: 2016

Another series of PlayStation action platformers is Sly Cooper. These games center on a small group of lovable thieves who only steal from other criminals. The games are cel-shaded and look like playable cartoons, but the movie seems to be going a more realistic CG route. We’ll see if that choice pays off in 2016 when the film hits theaters. In the meantime, you can watch the trailer here.

Angry Birds

Planned Release Date: 2016

You don’t own a game property this popular with kids and not make an animated movie out of it. Developer Rovio Entertainment is doing the only sensible thing and flinging the blockbuster game franchise Angry Birds onto the big screen. The movie will be a 3D animated feature that’s set to debut on July 1, 2016. If you don’t want to wait that long, you can pass the time by watching a series of animated shorts starring the colorful birds right here.

Warcraft

Planned Release Date: 2016

A movie based on the most popular MMO in the world is set to debut in 2016. Filming has already wrapped on Warcraft, but not a lot of information is available about the movie aside from its basic plot: humans and orcs duking it out in the fantasy world of Azeroth. It’s being directed by Duncan Jones, who directed the unique indie sci-fi flick Moon, which bodes well for this fantasy adventure.

Resident Evil: The Final Chapter

Planned Release Date: 2016

Another Resident Evil sequel will come as no surprise to movie fans, as the series already contains five zombie-filled entries. The upcoming film is slated for a 2016 release, and will wrap up the ongoing story lines so the actors and director can move on to other projects. Of course, the franchise could always rise from the dead for a reboot sometime down the line.

Shadow of the Colossus

Planned Release Date: TBA

This PlayStation 2 cult classic is a triumph of atmosphere. You play as a young man who must traverse a desolate landscape and slay sixteen enormous beasts to bring his love back to life. Although the movie version has been on the back burner since 2009, Sony Pictures has just hired a new director to lead the project, Andrés Muschietti, whose horror film Mama scared audiences stiff in 2013. If anyone can bring the hopeless grandeur of the game to the big screen, it’s him.

Dead Island

Planned Release Date: TBA

Dead Island is a game set in what would be an ideal vacation spot if only it weren’t for those pesky hordes of undead maniacs. The movie has been something of an on-and-off affair since it was announced, with Lionsgate buying the rights to the game but abandoning the project before getting it off the ground. The rights have recently been scooped up by Occupant Entertainment and publisher Deep Silver. These companies have said they’re hoping to get the project moving by early next year.