Avi Arad, founder of Marvel Studios who is responsible for many comic book adaptations to big screens, including Spider-Man, Fantastic Four, Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk and many more.
Now Arad has his sights on video game adaptations to the big screens. At an event in Beijing, Arad told Kotaku, that he is involved with Uncharted, Mass Effect and Metal Gear Solid movies.
“Converting games to film hasn’t been done yet successfully, though Resident Evil did very well—it was actually a great series. I remember when Bernd Eichinger started it. I was working with him, I just couldn’t do that at Marvel but I had a good feeling about it, it’s a fantastic franchise.
I think that film studios are bankers and filmmakers are risk takers and somewhere in between we meet on the battlefield. And the moment one video game movie goes through the roof, it’s the same thing that I’ve been through with comic books,” he said.
Arad believes successful video game franchises like Uncharted and Metal Gear Solid, have strong narratives, could become the first big successes.
“I think Uncharted will be very successful. It’s a father and son game. There are things about it that are interesting. I think the world of antiquities theft, there are many countries in the world that realized they’re being robbed and they’re trying to recoup these important pieces. Now, the script has a lot of character [and] I think that has a shot at being the first one [to succeed].”
Arad said that Metal Gear Solid movie is at least three years away, which was announced at the 25th Anniversary event in Japan last year and says that he is meeting with Kojima soon to discuss it.
“If you go to Metal Gear Solid, it’s actually full of storytelling. I always look at the bible as a storyteller and operas with special attention to relationships and here, you have Cain and Abel, Ying and Yang like Double Dragon.”
He then adds that Mass Effect movie will take even longer, “It’s a big idea, that we, humans, are the least developed, the least trusted, it’s an interesting mirror image of our world, we are the aliens now.
Love the project, it’s getting there, it’s been a lot of work; some movies take five, six years before they’re ready.”
Are you excited about these video game adaptations? Do you think Avi Arad can pull it off?
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Source: Kotaku.
They should take it easy with the three franchises, otherwise they’ll get spoiled once and for all.
Can’t wait.
Nathan Fillion as Nathan Drake, please!
Uncharted should definitely not have a movie. If it was a CG movie then yes, but live action, no. There isn’t anyone who can talk like Nathan Drake (or Nolan North) and look like like him. The same goes with the other characters. How many video game movie adaptions are there that sucked because of that. That’s why CG video game adaptions do alot better.
Why is sounding like the character a proviso? The other video game-adapted movies failed because they were, on the whole, terribly written and directed and often mis-cast. They weren’t good because studios didn’t think they needed to put much effort into making them, simply because they were already successful as games.
Their success had nothing to do with the main stars’ sounding or looking like the video game character they were portraying.
Yeah I know, but it always bothered me when they have actors that look nothing like the character or don’t act like the character at all, it throws it off from the character. Video games make these beautiful CG trailers and cutscenes, why can’t they stick to that, it be worth it and it won’t change anything.
I would prioritise an actor who can act, rather than an actor who simply looks like the CG creation. Obviously they should resemble the game character in body/facial structure in some way (while the rest: hair, clothes, build, etc are changeable), but under that requirement I would prefer a good actor, not a good-likeness actor.
Well, it’s going to be hard to find someone who can act as Nathan Drake. But probably they’ll have someone who doesn’t at all act like Nathan Drake because it is way too hard to find that personality.
Why would it? I am a big fan of Uncharted, but Nathan Drake isn’t an especially extraordinary character, especially not in personality. It’s called acting for a reason.
Well, I really wouldn’t mind if they were to do what they did for the Playstation “Michael” trailer. They had a guy that looked like Nathan Drake and had Nolan North voiced over the guy. I wouldn’t mind that. But Nathan Drake has a very rare personality still. If anyone could do it then Nathan drake wouldn’t have been a fantastic character. Plus Nolan North added in some acting on his own to make the character better.
I think you’re missing my point.
Maybe I am, but we’ll have to wait and see, I’m not expecting the movie to become a big hit or success, but I will watch it
I agree there, I’m not holding out much hope that it was be particularly good at all. I’m just hoping it will! :)
Not extraordinary? He’s the mascot for Playstation 3 and one of the most iconic fictional characters of the early 21st century.
I said not an extraordinary personality, by which I meant for a leading hero. I’m not belittling the character, especially since I’m a fan. I was making a point about the choice of actor, in reply to what ‘FaceOfTheFUTURE’ was saying.
Allan Hawco would be the perfect Nathan Drake
scott adkins for nathan drake m/
Why not Nolan North? You know, the actual guy.
scott adkins has the physicality, everybody loved him in undisputed he dresses well and this look above is the closest replica of drake all he need is to remove his moustache. i wished he played batman rather than ben : nolan north is a good choice if they want to potray drake a bit old.
i want nolan in metal gear solid project!
i want this to be really good, but if you ask me, avi arad makes “ok” movies, not amazing films like nolan. so… i am not too confident. though i try not to rush to conclusions
No, no & no. Hideo Kojima is the one who makes it.
The Resident Evil movies “a great series”?……did he hit his head or something?
Nathan Fillian or Brendan Fraser! Have you seen The Mummy? He looks just like Drake