Hollywood Doubles Down on Video Game Adaptations: Every Upcoming Film Ranked by Anticipation

April 25, 2026 - 13:18

The era of the cursed video game movie may finally be over. With critical and commercial successes like The Last of Us and The Super Mario Bros. Movie proving that faithful adaptations can dominate both the box office and streaming charts, Hollywood is now betting bigger than ever on the medium’s most beloved franchises. From dystopian underwater cities to mushroom kingdoms and post-apocalyptic wastelands, the slate of upcoming projects is staggering. But not all adaptations are created equal. Here is a comprehensive ranking of every announced video game film, from the least promising to the ones that have genuine potential to be unforgettable.

At the bottom of the list sits the long-gestating BioShock adaptation. While director Francis Lawrence has expressed passion for the project, the film has been stuck in development hell for over a decade. The challenge of condensing Rapture’s philosophical depth and immersive horror into a two-hour runtime, combined with Netflix’s recent cost-cutting measures, makes this one feel more like a distant dream than a sure thing. Slightly higher, The Division starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Jessica Chastain has the star power but struggles to find a narrative hook beyond its “post-pandemic survival” premise, which now feels uncomfortably close to reality.

Moving into the middle tier, Mortal Kombat 2 has the advantage of a solid foundation from its 2021 predecessor, but the sequel must deliver more tournament action and less setup to truly satisfy fans. Similarly, Ghost of Tsushima has a director in Chad Stahelski who understands action choreography, yet adapting a samurai open-world game into a linear story risks losing the meditative exploration that made the original special.

The top tier, however, is genuinely exciting. The Legend of Zelda film, currently in early development with Wes Ball attached to direct, carries the weight of Nintendo’s most cherished franchise. If handled with the same care as the Mario movie, this could be a cultural event. But the crown jewel of the list is Until Dawn. The interactive horror game’s branching narrative and teen-slasher tone are a perfect fit for cinema, and the announced cast—including Peter Stormare reprising his role as Dr. Hill—suggests a meta, self-aware adaptation that could redefine how game stories translate to film. As these projects move forward, one thing is clear: the days of dismissing video game movies are over. The only question left is which one will break the mold entirely.