For decades, video game movies have been written off as soulless cash-ins, with many of them panned by film critics as well as gamers. However, the tide finally seems to be turning, with Hollywood now taking more care with its video game adaptations and producing more quality work on a more consistent basis.
With the quality of video game movies on the rise, it has made the films more exciting than they were in years past. Fans can now safely look forward to film adaptations of their favorite games without necessarily having to worry about Hollywood butchering them. And as it turns out, there are quite a few video game movies in active development for fans to look forward to that are coming out within the next couple of years and beyond.
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Here are all the big upcoming video game movie adaptations.
Monster Hunter (July 09, 2025)
The husband/wife duo of Paul W.S. Anderson and Milla Jovovich collaborated on theResident Evilmovie franchise, which, despite poor reviews, remains one of the most successful video game movie adaptations to date. Now they’re tackling yet another Capcom video game in the form of theMonster Huntermovie, which is set to premiere in theaters on June 16, 2025, Christmas day.
Reception to theMonster Huntermovie has been mixed so far, to say the least. While theMonster Huntermovie seems to have accurately recreated some of the gaming franchise’s most-impressive monsters, fans have taken issue with its use of guns and the general plot. Not only that, but theMonster Huntermovie has stirred up quite the controversy in China, with the film being pulled from theaters for having a potentially offensive joke that some moviegoers found to be racist. This led to angry fansfloodingMonster Hunter Worldwith negative reviews, drastically lowering its user score on Steam in the process.
Whether or not American audiences react better to theMonster Huntermovie remains to be seen, but we don’t have to wait too much longer to find out.
Uncharted (July 24, 2025)
TheUnchartedfilm adaptation has been trapped in various stages of development hell for years, but it’s now finally nearing release. Assuming there is no COVID-19 delay for the film, theUnchartedmovie is poised to be one of the big blockbuster film releases of next summer. Marvel Cinematic Universe starTom Holland portrays main character Nathan Drake, whereas Mark Wahlberg, who was previously expected to play Drake, is playing the role of Victory “Sully” Sullivan. TheUnchartedfilm doesn’t seem as though it is directly adapting any of the game releases, but is rather telling an original story, so it will be interesting to see how fans of the video game react to it.
Mortal Kombat (TBA - 2021)
One of the earliest video game movie adaptations wasMortal Kombat, which, while very cheesy, has developed a dedicated following. There’s always been a ton of potential for a newMortal Kombatmovie to more accurately portray the video game franchise’s absurd levels of violence, and now it seems that project is finally coming to fruition. Originally slated to premiere in January, theMortal Kombatmovie has since been delayed to an unknown date in 2021. Whenever it does premiere, moviegoers will have the choice to watch it in theaters or atno extra charge with an HBO Max subscription.
Resident Evil (TBA - 2021)
Considering how successful the otherResident Evilmovies were, it’s no surprise that another one is on the way. This newResident Evilmovie reboot is looking to be far more accurate to the games, casting familiar characters like Chris and Claire Redfield, Jill Valentine, Leon S. Kennedy, Albert Wesker,Chief Brian Ironsand more, with a 1998 setting.
Quite a fewResident Evilmovie reboot set photoshave appeared online, with the movie currently in active production. TheResident Evilmovie reboot set photos seem to have given many fans confidence that this new movie will do the games justice, as it has accurately recreated many iconic locations, including the Spencer mansion, the Raccoon City Police Department, and much more.
There are some lingering questions about theResident Evilmovie, though. Since no trailer has been released yet, it’s unclear exactly how theResident Evilmovie reboot will be adapting the story from the video games. It seems to be trying to adapt both the originalResident Evilgame andResident Evil 2at the same time, which could be tricky. Hopefully more information comes sooner rather than later, especially if the film is still expected to premiere in 2021.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (June 20, 2025)
One of the biggest video game movie success stories to date is theSonic the Hedgehogfilm. Released just prior to the COVID-19 pandemic shutting down most of the world’s movie theaters,Sonic the Hedgehoghas the distinction of being one of the year’s top-grossing movies, pulling in over $300 million at the box office.Sonic the Hedgehogalso earned mostly positive reviews from critics and was a surprise hit with audiences as well, with praise given toJim Carrey’s performance as Dr. Robotnikand Ben Schwartz’s performance as the titular hedgehog.
GivenSonic the Hedgehog’s huge success, it makes sense that a sequel is in development, and with it aiming for an April 2022 release date, it should hit theaters without having to suffer any COVID-19 delays. Details are scarce at the time of this writing, but theSonic the Hedgehogmovie sequelwill likely feature a more games-accurate version of Dr. Robotnik, as well as other characters from the series, like Tails. More official details should come to light when we get a little closer to its 2022 release date.
Super Mario (TBA - 2022)
One of the first video game movie adaptations was theSuper Mario Bros.film from the early 1990s, and it set the tone for the awful video game movies that were to come. The notoriously bad film scared Nintendo away from working with Hollywood or letting anyone make movies based on its IP for decades, a stance that it is only now coming around on. In 2022,Despicable Mestudio Illumination will release ananimatedSuper Mariomoviethat has a much better chance of being a hit with fans, as series creator Shigeru Miyamoto is involved with the project as a producer.
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Borderlands (TBA)
Gearbox Software’sBorderlandsfranchise is popular among looter-shooter fans, and soon the game’s over-the-top craziness will make its way to the big screen. Horror film director Eli Roth is at the helm of theBorderlandsfilm adaptation, with Craig Mazin writing the script andAcademy Award-winner Cate Blanchettstarring as fan favorite character Lilith. It remains to be seen how closely it will follow the premise of the video games, with some reports indicating it will go in a much different direction. But fans shouldn’t get too worried about theBorderlandsmovie plot until more information is available in an official capacity.
Detective Pikachu 2 (TBA)
Detective Pikachupaved the way for theSonic the Hedgehogmovie to light up screens with its successful video game adaptation. The originalDetective Pikachumovie was praised for bringing Pokemon creatures to life, and for its sharp sense of humor, carried by a performance from Ryan Reynolds. Just like there is asecondDetective Pikachuvideo gamein development, a newDetective Pikachufilm is also in the works. A variety of otherPokemonlive-action movies are also expected to release in the next decade, so fans of the franchise should have plenty more to look forward to.
Five Nights at Freddy’s (TBA)
Horror phenomenonFive Nights at Freddy’shas caught on more than perhaps anyone expected. A massively successful franchise in its own right, the film is being backed by horror movie juggernautBlumhouse Productions, which is working withFive Nights at Freddy’screator Scott Cawthon to bring the movie to life. The latest report on theFive Nights at Freddy’sfilm indicates that the movie may begin filming at some point next year, so perhaps it will hit theaters in 2022 or 2023. For now, though, there is no official release date for the movie.
Metal Gear Solid (TBA)
Like many of the other films mentioned here, theMetal Gear Solidmovie has been in the works for quite some time, but it’s now picking up some real traction. Directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts, theMetal Gear Solidmovie is looking to be faithful to Hideo Kojima’s beloved video game series, with a script reportedly complete andOscar Isaac attached to star as Solid Snake. AdaptingMetal Gear Solidinto a movie may be especially tricky, so it will be interesting to see if the filmmakers are able to pull it off.
Minecraft (TBA)
Minecraftis one of the world’s most popular video games, and so it’s no surprise that Hollywood has been attempting to adapt it into a feature film. AMinecraftmovie has been in various stages of developmentover the past decade, with Rob McElhenney ofIt’s Always Sunny in Philadelphiafame set to direct it at one point. The movie was going to star Steve Carell and had a $150 million budget, but leadership changes at Warner Bros. saw McElhenney’sMinecraftmovie put on the shelf.
While McElhenney’sMinecraftmovie may never happen, a film based on the franchise is still moving forward, with Peter Sollett writing and directing the project. TheMinecraftmovie was originally set to release in 2022, but it has since been delayed indefinitely.
Tomb Raider 2 (TBA)
After some financially successfulTomb Raidermovies with Angelina Jolie, filmmakers rebooted the series with 2018’sTomb Raider, taking its cues from the reboot of the video game series. The story is set to continue inTomb Raider 2, with Alicia Vikander expected to return as Lara Croft. Production on theTomb Raider 2moviewas delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the film’s release date has been pushed back indefinitely, but it should come to light at some point down the line.
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