The influence of video games on popular culture is growing.
In recent years a growing number of Hollywood movies have been inspired by video games. Some have been a huge success (e.g.Resident Evil Franchise) and others have received heavy criticism (e.g. Super Mario Bros 1993). One thing is certain, movies based on video games have grossed Hollywood Movie Studios billions.
This list contains major cinematic releases of movies and animated films based on video games. Included are franchises and sequels. Please keep in mind films like TRON and THE LAST STAR FIGHTER were among the first to use special effects aka CGI (Computer Generated Imagery). While films like Terminator in 1992 was a pioneer it wasn't until the early 2000's that CGI became seamless.
TRON 1982
After a computer engineer discovers a company executive committing fraud, he’s transported into the digital world after a failed hack. In 2010 TRON Legacy was released.
THE LAST STAR FIGHTER 1984
After a teenager achieves the highest score on the arcade video game Starfighter, he’s invited to meet the creator of the game. Learning that the game is a pilot training program he’s quickly recruited to help fight a war in space.
THE WIZARD 1990
Two brothers travel across California and complete in the Video Armageddon tournament. This movie stars a young Fred Savage and the futuristic Nintendo Power Glove.
SUPER MARIO BROTHERS 1993
Brooklyn plumbers Mario and Luigi rescue Princess Daisy from King Koopa and the Goombas in a dinosaur world.
STREET FIGHTER 1994
Jean-Claude Van Damme, Guile leads an international strike force to overthrow the evil dictator General Bison. Including all your favorite characters Cammy, Ryu, Chun-Li, Vega, Ken and more.
MORTAL KOMBAT 1995
Mortal Kombat is the ultimate fighting tournament between Earth and the Outworld. Featuring many characters from the game including.
Beautiful and brainy Tomb Raider’s Lara Croft is one woman's fearless quest crisscrossing the globe, in an amazing attempt to save the world. This live action feature is inspired by the most successful interactive video-game character in history Lara Croft, played by Angelina Jolie. This was followed by Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The cradle of life in 2003.
A futuristic action-adventure it’s the first feature-length motion picture that bringing realism to computer-generated, human characters.
Based on the popular video game, Milla Jovovich and Michelle Rodriguez star as the leaders of a commando team who must break into "the hive," a vast underground genetics laboratory operated by the powerful Umbrella Corporation. There, a deadly virus has been unleashed, killing the lab's personnel and resurrecting them as the evil Undead. The team has just three hours to shut down the lab's supercomputer and close the facility before the virus threatens to overrun the Earth. A truly successful franchise there have been several Resident Evil sequels made: Apocalypse 2004, Extinction 2007, Afterlife 2010, Retribution 2012 and the Final Chapter in 2016.
TOMB RAIDER 2001
FINAL FANTASY - The Spirits Within 2001
RESIDENT EVIL 2002
DOOM 2005
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson leads a team of space marines on a mission to investigate a security breach at a secret science facility on Mars. One of the final scenes features an amazing first person view much like the game.
Timothy Olyphant plays Agent 47, a professional assassin caught up in a political takeover. In 2015 the sequel Hitman: Agent 47 was released.
HITMAN 2007
PRINCE OF PERSIA: SANDS OF TIME 2009
Set in the mystical lands of Persia, an epic action-adventure about a rogue prince and a mysterious princess who race against dark forces to safeguard an ancient dagger capable of releasing the Sands of Time. The Sands of Time is a gift from the gods that can reverse time and allow its possessor to rule the world. Starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Gemma Arterton.
WRECK IT RALPH 2014
Arcade-game character Wreck-It Ralph is tired of always being the "bad guy" and losing to his "good guy" opponent, Fix-It Felix. Finally, after decades of seeing all the glory go to Felix, Ralph decides to take matters into his own hands. He sets off on a game-hopping trip to prove that he has what it takes to be a hero. Starring John C Reilly and Jack McBrayer.
NEED 4 SPEED 2014
Framed for a crime he didn't commit, muscle car mechanic and street racer Tobey (Aaron Paul) gets out of prison determined to settle the score with the man responsible for his false conviction.
A 3D animated comedy, we finally find out why the birds are so angry. The movie takes us to an island populated entirely by happy, flightless birds – or almost entirely. In this paradise, Red , a bird with a temper problem, speedy Chuck , and the volatile Bomb have always been outsiders. But when the island is visited by mysterious green piggies, it’s up to these unlikely outcasts to figure out what the pigs are up to. Starring Jason Sudeikis, Josh Gad and Danny McBride.
ANGRY BIRDS MOVIE 2016
WARCRAFT 2016
From Legendary Pictures and Universal Pictures comes Warcraft, an epic adventure of world-colliding conflict based on Blizzard Entertainment’s global phenomenon. The peaceful realm of Azeroth stands on the brink of war as its civilization faces a fearsome race of invaders: Orc warriors fleeing their dying home to colonize another. As a portal opens to connect the two worlds, one army faces destruction and the other faces extinction. From opposing sides, two heroes are set on a collision course that will decide the fate of their family, their people and their home.
So begins a spectacular saga of power and sacrifice in which war has many faces, and everyone fights for something.