Video game movie adaptations are the "new" hot thing. They've been doing them for years, ever since 1993's Super Mario Bros, but it felt like it took quite a long time for Hollywood to figure out how to get it right. There's been a good deal of duds, like Jake Gyllenhaal's Prince of Persia: Sands of Time adaptation we're all trying very hard to forget, but it seems now we're living in a golden age of video game adaptations, where they can both genuinely enjoyable films while be mostly accurate to their source material, like the Sonic films.
We'll be looking at eight films that look very promising in their goal to adapt their respective games. Now, this list will go over films that have at least a creative team attached and have been worked on relatively recently, so you know to keep an actual eye out for them and not just hope that it's happening because someone talked about it three years ago. (Sorry, Metal Gear Solid.)
Five Nights at Freddy's 2
Five Nights at Freddy's as a franchise whole has a very devout fanbase, making the first film a huge hit, despite middling reviews from critics. The movie grossed $297 million against a $20 million budget, in spite of a day-of release on Peacock, so it's a no-brainer they made a sequel. Not much is actually known about the plot of this movie, but this follow-up does promise to delve further into the lore of the games, and also provide an unexpected Scream reunion, of all things.
Returning from the first film is Josh Hutcherson, Elizabeth Lail, Piper Rubio, and Matthew Lillard, as Mike Schmidt, Vanessa Shelly, Abby Schmidt, and William Afton, respectively. However, joining the cast is Skeet Ulrich (of Billy Loomis fame), allegedly playing Henry Emily, a figure from Afton's past; which marks a significant reunion with Lillard, his other half from the original Ghostface duo. The director/writer team from the first film is also returning, that being Emma Tammi and Scott Cawthon, the latter being the creator of the games. Five Night's at Freddy's 2 releases Dec. 5, 2025.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie
Another sequel to a movie that made an absurd amount of money, as The Super Mario Bros. Movie made $1.361 billion, so again, no one is surprised they're making a sequel. What is surprising however, is the title, which is titled after the 2007 game of the same name for the Nintendo Wii. This game focused on Mario's spacefaring adventures to, again, save Princess Peach from Bowser's captivity; however, both at the time and today, Super Mario Galaxy is near-universally praised for its innovative platforming features and unique terrains.
The returning cast is Chris Pratt as Mario, Charlie Day as Luigi, and Jack Black as Bowser, but no new additions to the cast have been announced. Many theorize Rosalina from the 2007 game may play a big part in this film given the title, but her involvement here has yet to be commented on. The directors, Aaron Horvath and Michael Jenenic, return from the first film, and this new one will be released April 3, 2026.
Resident Evil
Before Weapons even released, industry talk about it and Zack Cregger's work on it was that of very high praise, so much so that studios were very quick to pick his next project, a film that takes place in the world of the Resident Evil games that he is both writing and directing. No plot details are known besides its franchise setting and that is will not be a story adaptation of any game, but does pull from RE2, 3, and 4 for inspiration, and is looking to be very different from the countless other adaptations of the franchise.
Austin Abrams, who played James in Weapons, is starring in this film, marking a second film between him and Cregger. Given Cregger's track record of his last two theatrical releases, many believe this franchise to be the perfect fit for him. Since production was quickly started after a bidding war for distribution rights, this film will release as soon as next year, on Sept. 18, 2026.
Street Fighter
Street Fighter has had adaptations before, most notably in 1994, but this film looks to reboot entirely. Plotwise, it seems to follow the basic simplicity of the games; set in 1993, the film follows Ryu, Ken, and Chun-Li as they enter the World Warrior Tournamnet, facing off against a slew of bizzare and interesting foes. However, the most interesting part of this movie is the cast.
The main cast goes as follows, and it's a doozy: Noah Centineo as Ken Masters, Andrew Koji as Ryu, Jason Momoa as Blanka, Roman Reigns as Akuma, Callina Liang as Chun-Li, 50 Cent as Balrog, Andrew Shulz as Dan Hibiki, David Dasmalchan as M. Bison, Cody Rhodes as Guile, Vidyut Jammwal as Dhalsim, Eric Andre as Don Savauge, Orville Peck as Vega, Oliver Richters as Zangief, Hirooki Goto as E. Honda, Mel Jarnson as Cammy, Rayna Vallandingham as Juli, Alexander Volkanovski as Joe, and Kyle Mooney as Marvin. Kitao Sakuri is directing, and the film will release Oct. 16, 2026.
The Legend of Zelda
Finally, after all these years, we're getting a Legend of Zelda movie. Unfortunately, we don't know anything about it. Nintendo is notoriously hush-hush on projects like these, so until they decided to tell us more, we're in the dark here. With over 20 games, not even counting remakes, they could pull plot points from any one of them.
Fans have commonly speculated the film may draw heavily from Ocarina of Time or Breath of the Wild, both seen as quintessential titles in the franchise. Alike the plot, we know very little of the cast, with an exception who's playing Link and Zelda, that being Benjamin Evan Ainsworth and Bo Bragason, respectively. Wes Ball of Maze Runner and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes fame is directing, and the film will be released May 7, 2027.
Death Stranding films
Would you believe there is not one, but two Death Stranding movies in production? The often-labeled "walking sim" by video game mastermind Hideo Kojima is receiving both a live-action adaptation and an animated feature as well. Both films are set to take place within the world of the game, and not be a direct adaptation of Norman Reedus's Sam from the games.
Not much is known about the live action film other than its director, Michael Sarnoski, known for Pig and A Quiet Place: Day One. Kojima has previously stated they're aiming for a 2027 release, but no solid date has been given. The animated one, however, has a full title: Death Stranding: Mosquito, with a trailer to boot. Aaron Guzikowski is writing the story, and Hiroshi Miyamoto is directing.
Elden Ring
We know the least about this highly-anticitpated adaptation of the FromSoftware blockbuster game Elden Ring. We do know that Alex Garland, scribe of 28 Days Later and writer/director of Ex Machina, is directing and writing for the story here as well. He's been an outspoken fan of the game in interviews, claiming to have beaten it a whopping 7 times, which is no small feat.
Much speculation surrounds this film, and there's no release window whatsoever. Given the tangled lore of the game, many fans worry how this title will handle as a film adaptation; only time will tell. Based on Garland's previous comments, we can surmise things are going steady on his end, but that's the most we confidently say as we eagerly await more news.
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