5 Upcoming Video Game Movies in 2016 / 2017

Video game movies. Always sounds like a better idea than it actually is. Fortunately, studios are taking video game movies a little more seriously now and there's a few films that show some promise. There's dozens that have been announced, but who knows if we'll ever see them. The five upcoming movies in this list have trailers or at least are in production and the fans are already debating like mad men on internet message boards regarding whether or not they'll be good. So let's take a look at these upcoming video game movies. Warcraft � June 10, 2016 Blizzard's Warcraft franchise is now getting an epic movie. The movie was first announced way back in 2006, but it's finally getting released this summer. Warcraft tells the story of the first conflict between the humans and orcs. Humans are facing against invaders while the orc warriors are fleeing their dying world of Draenor. The movie mixes a lot of CG with real actors to portray some of the characters similar to the approach that Avatar had. In fact, the movie spent 20 months in post production to create all the effects and the characters. Fans seem to be split on the special effects with some claiming that it looks out of place while other fans are thrilled to see their favorite elements from Warcraft lore on the big screen. I'm more concerned about the transition of the art style from game to film. Blizzard games have a signature look and feel that only works in the games that they've made. Making a big budget action movie with orc and human warriors and attaching the name Warcraft may be unnecessary. This movie seems like it could stand on it's own if it has the right leading characters. We'll see how it turns out when it releases this June. Assassin's Creed � December 2016 The Assassin's Creed movie has a lot of buzz surrounding this title. The franchise has grown tremendously over the years, but the last two games haven't sold as well as the previous titles. And 2016 will be the first year that doesn't have an annual Assassin's Creed game. So this could be one of the more divisive video game movies coming out soon. And it has an estimated $125 million dollar budget which is comparable to other big blockbusters being produced right now. We're still waiting for a trailer on this one, but we have seen a few images and we know who's involved in the production. It's being directed by Justin Kurzel who was responsible for the Macbeth movie last year so he does have a background in historical movies. Michael Fassbender is playing the main character Callum Lynch. Fassbender is an interesting choice for the lead. He's known for a mix of serious dramas like Prometheus, but he's also starred in blockbuster action titles like Inglorious Basterds and the recent X-Men movies. Assassin's Creed has been very heavy on authenticity with stories and settings being heavily researched so Fassbender might be the best choice for a serious approach to a movie that still has plenty of action. What I'm curious to see is how the action turns out. Translating sword play onto the big screen and mixing it with a dramatic storyline is a tall order. How will they choreograph and direct the swordplay and assassinations? The Assassin's Creed movie release December 2016. Sly Cooper - 2016 Sony seems to be transitioning many of their properties to the big screen because they've chosen to animate the 2002 release of Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus. Kevin Munroe, the same director from Ratchet And Clank, is working on this film also releasing in 2016. This film tells the story of Sly Cooper learning about his family's secret legacy which is a long line of skilled thieves. He and his friends end up on adventure to reassemble pieces of an ancient book holding The Cooper Clan's family secrets before it lands in the wrong hands. The original game was cel shaded but that was almost 15 years ago. Style and technology have changed so they decided to go with full computer graphic animation for this film. The Sly Cooper movie is set to release sometime in 2016. Ratchet And Clank � April 2016 Ratchet And Clank brings back the beloved franchise from the Playstation 2 era. It's a completely original story written by former Insomniac Games Senior Writer T.J. Fixman. They're retelling the events of the original game. We'll find out how our heroes meet for the first time and attempt to save the Solana Galaxy from being destroyed. The same voice actors reprise their roles from the game including James Arnold Taylor as Ratchet and David Kaye as Clank. But there's also several film actors involved including Slyvester Stallone, Bella Thorne, Rosario Dawson, and John Goodman. There's a game launching alongside the movie that's a re-imagining of the original and it incorporates scenes from the movie. Ratchet and Clank releases in theaters in April 2016. Resident Evil The Final Chapter � January 2017 Resident Evil The Final Chapter is the sixth installment in the series that originally started back in 2002. We're still waiting on a trailer, but we know Milla Jovovich returns for the role of Alice and that Ali Larter returns as Claire Redfield. The movie was original confirmed back in 2012, but it took quite a while for production to start. This movie is intended to be the last of the series, so I'm curious to see how they'll end with this title. Right now the movie is scheduled to be released in January 2017. Outro Video game movies don't always work as an adaptation to film. But if they get the right team together to create a movie that has strong production value, has an artistic purpose, and is just fun to watch, then there's a lot of potential. There's many strong video game franchises that could work well as movies. What do you think about these upcoming video game movies and what games would you like to see turned into movies.