The recent yet massive waves made by the Super Mario Bros. Movie and HBO’s The Last of Us have rejuvenated debates around video game adaptations. Their successes have broken the old stigma attached to video game film adaptations, forging a path that other gaming giants are now eyeing with both caution and intrigue.
At the heart of this conversation is Take-Two Interactive, a behemoth in the gaming world and home to renowned titles with significant cinematic potential: Red Dead Redemption, Grand Theft Auto, and Max Payne.
Yet, if the recent statements from its CEO, Strauss Zelnick, are anything to go by, Take-Two isn’t rushing to come back to the movie theaters anytime soon. This decision seems counter-intuitive, especially in the current era where shows such as Arcane, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, The Witcher, and Twisted Metal are redefining the standards for video game adaptations.
Drawing from a rich history in the entertainment industry, including his tenure as CEO of 20th Century Fox, Zelnick has a good reason for his reservations. Movies and TV projects, according to him, are a high-risk venture for what amounts to a “relatively small [economic] opportunity.”
Though the applause surrounding recent video game successes is deafening, there are still haunting echoes of failures past. A case in point: the 2008 film adaptation of Max Payne, which currently lurks in the annals of Rotten Tomatoes with a dismal 16% rating.
With a failed Max Payne adaptation already on its track record, Take-Two’s hesitance becomes clearer. Their Borderlands project further feeds this reluctance. Two years post-shooting, it’s still a year away from release. The recent departure of co-writer Craig Mazin doesn’t bode well either, adding another layer of uncertainty to the entire endeavor.
However, it’s not just about past mistakes or current troubles. Zelnick’s perspective on potential film adaptations seems rooted in a much deeper philosophy. “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,” he firmly stated.
This conservative approach might come as a disappointment to fans hoping for cinematic adaptations of their favorite games. The Red Dead Redemption movie, in particular, has been a popular point of speculation. The wild west setting, rich storytelling, and charismatic characters provide a perfect template for a blockbuster. Yet, Zelnick’s words, peppered with caution, seem to dash any imminent hopes of seeing Arthur Morgan on the big screen.
Outside of the movie realm, there are other concerns as well. The recent announcement about Red Dead Redemption’s Switch port pricing has raised eyebrows, with Zelnick defending the $50 tag by mentioning the inclusion of the Undead Nightmare expansion. Whether this justifies the price to the gaming community remains to be seen, adding another dimension to Take-Two’s challenges.
Looking at the broader picture, while the likes of Super Mario Bros. and The Last of Us serve as gleaming examples of what can be achieved, Zelnick’s caution is not entirely unfounded. The entertainment world is a treacherous one that’s full of unpredictability. Today’s hits can easily become tomorrow’s flops.
Furthermore, Zelnick’s experience, spanning roles at Columbia Pictures Television and 20th Century Fox, provides him with a unique vantage point. He understands the intricacies of both the gaming and film industries, allowing him to discern risks others might overlook.
For now, though Take-Two may be exploring the waters with Borderlands and BioShock, they remain committed to their “selective” approach. This means that while the chance of seeing Grand Theft Auto or Mafia light up theaters isn’t entirely off the table, it’s also far from a given.
If nothing else, this is a stance that Rockstar Games, the studio behind Red Dead Redemption and Grand Theft Auto, have maintained for years.
Of course, you can’t blame the company for not wanting to get a slice of the live-action adaptation pie when it stands to set a new entertainment record as soon as Grand Theft Auto 6 comes out, which could be anytime between April 2024 and March 2025.
