Ah, the video game movie. There are a few good ones, I think – and I’m using the word “good” loosely, here. The first Mortal Kombat was okay. Street Fighter makes the list, if only due to Raúl Juliá. The Angelina Jolie-led Tomb Raider films at least tried to be part of a legitimate movie franchise.
And, brace yourself for this one, I actually really enjoy the first video game movie ever, Super Mario Bros. Not as a faithful adaptation of the Nintendo game, no, but as a totally-out-there-scifi-parallel-universe-dystopian-the-king-is-a-fungus fever dream.
It’s a trip with some fun ideas, and really makes you wonder: Why?
Looking forward, we’ve got a whole new batch of video game flicks heading our way. Minecraft, Five Nights at Freddy’s, Sonic the Hedgehog. Alicia Vikander (Ex Machina) is about to star in next year’s Tomb Raider reboot, which doesn’t look half bad.
And, of course, we have 2018’s Rampage, starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
Rampage’s producer, Hiram Garcia, tweeted out earlier today that principal photography has begun on the film, an adaptation of the classic 1986 Midway arcade game.
Principal photography kicks off today on our #Rampage movie. @MalinAkerman & #JakeLacy bringin’ the thunder! pic.twitter.com/4Yc8Wkn8yv
— Hiram Garcia (@hhgarcia41) April 17, 2017
Details are scant, but looking over the cast list I’m more than a little intrigued. Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Malin Akerman, Naomie Harris, and Marley Shelton will join Johnson, with Akerman apparently playing the film’s villain (Lizzy?). Brad Peyton (San Andreas) is set to direct.
If all goes well, New Line’s Rampage (2018) will arrive in theaters April of next year.
