LogInNo new adaptations any time soon.
Red Dead Redemption 2. Image: Rockstar Games
The last couple of years have been pretty good for adaptations of video games: take Arcane, The Last of Us, or The Super Mario Bros. Movie. These are rare gems among all the other games turned into movies, but maybe the day of grand creations has finally come and we'll see Red Dead Redemption or GTA on big screens soon.
If that's what you're hoping for, you'd better lower your expectations. Take-Two's CEO Strauss Zelnick recently touched upon the topic of adaptations, saying that film and television projects were too risky for the "relatively small [economic] opportunity" they have.
BioShock Infinite. Image: Irrational Games
As PC Gamer noted, he said the success of the Super Mario Bros. Movie and The Last of Us merely shows that "there are many, many failures where money was lost." So the company will continue to take "a very selective approach to licensing," and only where "there's a creative imperative and an economic opportunity."
These opportunities are evidently in Borderlands and BioShock as the studio is working on the movies for these famous titles.
"It's a really hard business, and we're not going to bet this company's future, or the value of our intellectual property, based on someone else's execution in another area of the entertainment business," Zelnick said. "So we'll continue to be very selective indeed."
Max Payne 3. Image: Rockstar Studios
And this is probably the right decision, reinforced by the Max Payne film from 2008, another popular franchise by Take-Two, which now boasts a 16% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Filmmaking is no easy feat, so picking the source material, among many other things, right is crucial for not destroying the reputation of game adaptations again.
Previously, the comedy actor Jack Black expressed his interest in a Red Dead Redemption show, but it seems he's going to be disappointed. But don't worry, there are plenty of new projects in the works, like Death Stranding, PAYDAY, Dead by Daylight, Syberia, and possibly even League of Legends.
What movie from Take-Two would you like to see? Find the original article here and join our 80 Level Talent platform and our Telegram channel, follow us on Threads, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn, where we share breakdowns, the latest news, awesome artworks, and more.