Upcoming Video Game Adaptations

Synopsis: Based on the PlayStation vehicular combat series, Twisted Metal stars Anthony Mackie as a man who must escort a package across a post-apocalyptic landscape.

Should fans be worried? If you had to dig deep to remember Twisted Metal, you’re probably not alone —the last Twisted Metal video game came out in 2012. But the trailer has the game’s murder clown, so that’s something?

Release date: July 27, 2023

Synopsis: Following the events of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, this spinoff show follows Knuckles (Idris Elba) as he trains Wade Whipple (Adam Pally).

Should fans be worried? Along with Pally and Elba, Sonic film director Jeff Fowler and writer John Whittington also jumped to Knuckles.

Release date: 2023

Synopsis: A young hunter named Aloy explores the mysteries of a post-apocalyptic world overrun by dinosaur-like robots.

Should fans be worried? Horizon’s lore is downright Game of Thrones-esque, and translating this to the screen can always be fraught. But if there’s anything people like these days, it’s post-apocalyptic content and (mild spoiler alert) tech billionaires getting too big for their britches and accidentally causing the singularity.

Release date: TBD, in development

Synopsis: Survivors explore a nuclear post-apocalyptic America (it’s the last post-apocalyptic show on this list, we swear).

Should fans be worried? The show sports a solid roster of talent, including game director Todd Howard, Westworld creators Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, and stars Walton Goggins and Ella Purnell. And unlike many of the adaptations in this roundup, it’s actually been in production. On Instagram, Goggins said he wrapped filming in March 2023.

Release date: TBD, in production

Synopsis: Kratos and his kid have a father-son trip through ancient Scandinavia.

Should fans be worried? No details have dropped about the show since it was announced last year, but it’s coming from writers Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby (Iron Man, Children of Men) and showrunner Rafe Judkins (The Wheel of Time). It’s also expected to be based on 2018’s God of War.

Release date: TBD, in development

Synopsis: Things happen to people like Joel and Ellie in places. (We’ll keep things vague for non-game fans, because … hoo boy.)

Should fans be worried? HBO’s latest hit isn’t going anywhere, but fans have to wait for next season between the ongoing Writers Guild of America strike and the show’s big production cycle. Although show co-creator Neil Druckmann told Deadline he anticipates starting production later this year, Bella Ramsey predicted the show might not debut until late next year.

Release date: Potentially late 2024 or early 2025

Synopsis: Josh Hutcherson stars as a security guard at a family pizza arcade filled with murderous robot mascots.

Should fans be worried? The film adaptation is produced by Blumhouse Productions, which knows a thing or two about animatronic robots who can slay.

Release date: October 27, 2023

Synopsis: Based on a true story, a teen Gran Turismo player becomes a real race car driver after winning a professional competition.

Should fans be worried? If you were wondering how anyone could turn a racing simulation game into a narrative film, you weren’t alone there. The trailer steers into the “this isn’t a video game, it’s REAL LIFE” angle pretty heavily, but it otherwise looks like a conventional underdog sports film.

Release date: August 11, 2023

Synopsis: No details have dropped yet, but it’s an adaptation of the hit crafting/sandbox game.

Should fans be worried? As elder millennials, we admit to not having any idea where to start with this one. But with the news that Matt Berry may star alongside Jason Momoa in the film, we take this moment to link to this Matt Berry supercut and just imagine him mellifluously saying the word Minecraft.

Release date: April 2025