(L to R) Luigi (Charlie Day), Mario (Chris Pratt), Yoshi (Donald Glover) and Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy) in Nintendo and Illumination’s ‘The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’, directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic.
Video game movies have come a long way over the years!
Early adaptations like 1993’s ‘Super Mario Bros.‘ and 1994’s ‘Street Fighter‘ struggled to capture what made their source material so popular, but Hollywood has finally started to crack the code.
Release Date: May 28, 1993
Run Time: 1 hr 45 min
Budget: $48,000,000
But in recent years, studios have found real success with films like ‘Uncharted‘ and ‘A Minecraft Movie‘, as well as the ‘Resident Evil‘, ‘Sonic the Hedgehog‘, and ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s‘ franchises.
Now, the long-awaited sequel to 2023’s blockbuster smash ‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie‘, entitled ‘The Super Mario Galaxy Movie‘, is scheduled for release in theaters on April 1st and promises to be another monster hit.
In honor of the new sequel’s release, Moviefone is counting down the 20 best movies adapted from video games of all time, including ‘The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’.
Let’s begin!
Related Article: Movie Review: ‘The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’
Jake Gyllenhaal stars in ‘Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time’. Photo: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.
A rogue prince (Jake Gyllenhaal) reluctantly joins forces with a mysterious princess (Gemma Arterton) and together, they race against dark forces to safeguard an ancient dagger capable of releasing the Sands of Time – gift from the gods that can reverse time and allow its possessor to rule the world.
Release Date: May 27, 2010
Run Time: 1 hr 56 min
Budget: $200,000,000
Through a technology that unlocks the genetic memories of his ancestor in 15th century Spain, Callum Lynch (Michael Fassbender) discovers he is a descendant of an ancient line of Assassins and amasses lethal skills to take on the oppressive Templar Order.
“Your destiny is in your blood.”
Release Date: Dec 21, 2016
Run Time: 1 hr 56 min
Budget: $125,000,000
The film revolves around a local street-racer (Aaron Paul) who partners with a rich and arrogant business associate (Dominic Cooper), only to find himself framed by his colleague and sent to prison. After he gets out, he joins a New York-to-Los Angeles race to get revenge. But when the ex-partner learns of the scheme, he puts a massive bounty on the racer’s head, forcing him to run a cross-country gauntlet of illegal racers in all manner of supercharged vehicles.
“For honor. For love. For redemption.”
Release Date: Mar 14, 2014
Run Time: 2 hr 12 min
Budget: $66,000,000
The peaceful realm of Azeroth stands on the brink of war as its civilization faces a fearsome race of invaders: orc warriors fleeing their dying home to colonize another. As a portal opens to connect the two worlds, one army faces destruction and the other faces extinction. From opposing sides, two heroes are set on a collision course that will decide the fate of their family, their people, and their home.
Release Date: Jun 10, 2016
Run Time: 2 hr 3 min
Budget: $160,000,000
One year after her sister Melanie (Maia Mitchell) mysteriously disappeared, Clover (Ella Rubin) and her friends head into the remote valley where she vanished in search of answers. Exploring an abandoned visitor center, they find themselves stalked by a masked killer and horrifically murdered one by one…only to wake up and find themselves back at the beginning of the same evening.
“Every night a different nightmare.”
Release Date: Apr 25, 2025
Run Time: 1 hr 43 min
Budget: $15,000,000
Dwayne Johnson in ‘Rampage’. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
Primatologist Davis Okoye (Dwayne Johnson) shares an unshakable bond with George, the extraordinarily intelligent, silverback gorilla who has been in his care since birth. But a rogue genetic experiment gone awry mutates this gentle ape into a raging creature of enormous size. To make matters worse, it’s soon discovered there are other similarly altered animals. As these newly created alpha predators tear across North America, destroying everything in their path, Okoye teams with a discredited genetic engineer (Naomie Harris) to secure an antidote, fighting his way through an ever-changing battlefield, not only to halt a global catastrophe but to save the fearsome creature that was once his friend.
Release Date: Apr 13, 2018
Run Time: 1 hr 47 min
Budget: $120,000,000
Lara Croft (Alicia Vikander), the fiercely independent daughter of a missing adventurer (Dominic West), must push herself beyond her limits when she finds herself on the island where her father disappeared.
Release Date: Mar 16, 2018
Run Time: 1 hr 58 min
Budget: $94,000,000
In a world ravaged by a virus infection, turning its victims into the Undead, Alice (Milla Jovovich) continues on her journey to find survivors and lead them to safety. Her deadly battle with the Umbrella Corporation reaches new heights, but Alice gets some unexpected help from an old friend (Ali Larter). A new lead that promises a safe haven from the Undead takes them to Los Angeles, but when they arrive the city is overrun by thousands of Undead – and Alice and her comrades are about to step into a deadly trap.
“Experience a new dimension of evil”
Release Date: Sep 10, 2010
Run Time: 1 hr 37 min
Budget: $60,000,000
12. ‘Hitman‘ (2007)
A genetically engineered assassin with deadly aim, known only as “Agent 47” (Timothy Olyphant) eliminates strategic targets for a top-secret organization. But when he’s double-crossed, the hunter becomes the prey as 47 finds himself in a life-or-death game of international intrigue.
“Most believe his very existence is a sin. But others know he is a necessary evil.”
Release Date: Nov 21, 2007
Run Time: 1 hr 29 min
Budget: $24,000,000
The stars are gone. The planets have disappeared. Only individuals aboard space stations or starships were left to give the end a name — The Quiet Rapture. After decades of decay and crumbling infrastructure, the Consolidation of Iron has made a discovery on a barren moon designated AT-5. An ocean of blood. Hoping to discover desperately needed resources they immediately launch an expedition. A submarine is crafted and a convict is welded inside. Due to the pressure and depth of the ocean the forward viewport has been encased in metal. If successful, they will earn their freedom. If not, another will follow. This will be the 13th expedition.
“This is not an expedition. It’s an execution.”
Release Date: Jan 30, 2026
Run Time: 2 hr 5 min
Budget: $3,000,000
(L to R) Yoshi (Donald Glover), Mario (Chris Pratt) and Luigi (Charlie Day) in Nintendo and Illumination’s ‘The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’, directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic.
Having thwarted Bowser’s (Jack Black) previous plot to marry Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy), Mario (Chris Pratt) and Luigi (Charlie Day) now face a fresh threat in Bowser Jr. (Benny Safdie), who is determined to liberate his father from captivity and restore the family legacy. Alongside companions new and old, the brothers travel across the stars to stop the young heir’s crusade.
Release Date: Apr 1, 2026
Run Time: 1 hr 38 min
Budget: $110,000,000
Street-smart thief Nathan Drake (Tom Holland) is recruited by seasoned treasure hunter Victor “Sully” Sullivan (Mark Wahlberg) to recover a fortune lost by Ferdinand Magellan 500 years ago. What starts as a heist job for the duo becomes a globe-trotting, white-knuckle race to reach the prize before the ruthless Moncada (Antonio Banderas), who believes he and his family are the rightful heirs. If Nate and Sully can decipher the clues and solve one of the world’s oldest mysteries, they stand to find $5 billion in treasure and perhaps even Nate’s long-lost brother…but only if they can learn to work together.
“Fortune favors the bold.”
Release Date: Feb 18, 2022
Run Time: 1 hr 56 min
Budget: $120,000,000
In a world where people collect pocket-size monsters (Pokémon) to do battle, a boy (Justice Smith) comes across an intelligent monster (Ryan Reynolds) who seeks to be a detective.
Release Date: May 10, 2019
Run Time: 1 hr 45 min
Budget: $150,000,000
Four misfits (Sebastian Eugene Hansen, Emma Myers, Danielle Brooks, and Jason Momoa) find themselves struggling with ordinary problems when they are suddenly pulled through a mysterious portal into the Overworld: a bizarre, cubic wonderland that thrives on imagination. To get back home, they’ll have to master this world while embarking on a magical quest with an unexpected, expert crafter, Steve (Jack Black).
“Be there and be square.”
Release Date: Apr 4, 2025
Run Time: 1 hr 41 min
Budget: $150,000,000
Recently fired and desperate for work, a troubled young man named Mike (Josh Hutcherson) agrees to take a position as a night security guard at an abandoned theme restaurant: Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria. But he soon discovers that nothing at Freddy’s is what it seems.
“Can you survive five nights?”
Release Date: Oct 27, 2023
Run Time: 1 hr 50 min
Budget: $20,000,000
Jim Carrey as Dr. Robotnik in ‘Sonic the Hedgehog.’ Photo: Paramount Pictures.
Powered with incredible speed, Sonic The Hedgehog (Ben Schwartz) embraces his new home on Earth. That is, until Sonic sparks the attention of super-uncool evil genius Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey). Now it’s super-villain vs. super-sonic in an all-out race across the globe to stop Robotnik from using Sonic’s unique power for world domination.
“A whole new speed of hero.”
Release Date: Feb 14, 2020
Run Time: 1 hr 39 min
Budget: $85,000,000
MMA fighter Cole Young (Lewis Tan), accustomed to taking a beating for money, is unaware of his heritage or why Outworld’s Emperor Shang Tsung (Chin Han) has sent his best warrior, Sub-Zero (Joe Taslim), an otherworldly Cryomancer, to hunt Cole down. Fearing for his family’s safety, Cole goes in search of Sonya Blade (Jessica McNamee) at the direction of Jax (Mehcad Brooks), a Special Forces Major who bears the same strange dragon marking Cole was born with. Soon, he finds himself at the temple of Lord Raiden (Tadanabu Asano), an Elder God and the protector of Earthrealm, who grants sanctuary to those who bear the mark. Here, Cole trains with experienced warriors Liu Kang (Ludi Lin), Kung Lao (Max Huang) and rogue mercenary Kano (Josh Lawson), as he prepares to stand with Earth’s greatest champions against the enemies of Outworld in a high stakes battle for the universe. But will Cole be pushed hard enough to unlock his arcana, ”the immense power from within his soul”, in time to save not only his family, but to stop Outworld once and for all?
Release Date: Apr 23, 2021
Run Time: 1 hr 50 min
Budget: $20,000,000
Orphaned heiress, English aristocrat and intrepid archaeologist, Lara Croft (Angelina Jolie), embarks on a dangerous quest to retrieve the two halves of an ancient artifact which controls time before it falls into the wrong hands. As an extremely rare planetary alignment is about to occur for the first time in 5,000 years, the fearless tomb raider will have to team up with rival adventurers and sworn enemies to collect the pieces, while time is running out. But, in the end, who can harness the archaic talisman’s unlimited power?
“Born into Wealth. Groomed by the Elite. Trained for Combat.”
Release Date: Jun 15, 2001
Run Time: 1 hr 40 min
Budget: $115,000,000
While working underground to fix a water main, Brooklyn plumbers—and brothers—Mario (Chris Pratt) and Luigi (Charlie Day) are transported down a mysterious pipe and wander into a magical new world. But when the brothers are separated, Mario embarks on an epic quest to find Luigi.
“Not all heroes wear capes. Some wear overalls.”
Release Date: Apr 5, 2023
Run Time: 1 hr 33 min
Budget: $100,000,000
Milla Jovovich in ‘Resident Evil’. Photo: Screen Gems.
When a virus leaks from a top-secret facility, turning all resident researchers into ravenous zombies and their lab animals into mutated hounds from hell, the government sends in an elite military task force to contain the outbreak.
“A secret experiment. A deadly virus. A fatal mistake.”
Release Date: Mar 15, 2002
Run Time: 1 hr 40 min
Budget: $33,000,000
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