Four Video Games That Might Be the Next Hit TV Shows or Movies
After the remarkable success of The Last of Us and A Minecraft Movie, studios are continuing to invest heavily in video game intellectual properties. British research firm Ampere Analysis has identified four titles that it believes are poised for adaptation.
Ampere has highlighted Baldur’s Gate III, the BAFTA 2024 best game winner, along with Black Myth: Wu Kong, Hollow Knight: Silksong, and Sons of the Forest. These games are noted for their strong popularity, recent releases, and distinctive worlds, making them prime candidates for either big or small screen adaptations.
Over the past five years, interest in video game adaptations has surged. Ampere’s research focused on eight key characteristics, including narrative strength, adaptation style, franchise popularity, and potential audience reach.
“Studios have moved quickly to secure the biggest and most obvious game franchises, but our research shows there is still significant untapped potential in the market,” remarked Ronald Santa-Cruz, Research Manager and Games Subject Matter Expert at Ampere Analysis. “For studios willing to look beyond the usual suspects, there remains a strong pipeline of game IP that could translate into the next major transmedia success.”
The trend of adapting video games into successful shows and movies has markedly increased, with a 30% rise in commissions since 2019. Major studios, including Warner Bros. Discovery, Paramount, Netflix, Comcast, and Amazon, have acquired rights to several marquee game franchises, with upcoming adaptations of Mortal Kombat, Street Fighter, and The Legend of Zelda.
Ampere Analysis notes that recent successes like The Last of Us and A Minecraft Movie have shifted the market landscape towards live-action adaptations, moving away from animation. By 2025, 69% of commissioned adaptations will be live action, a figure that has more than doubled from the previous year. Notably, the second half of 2025 is expected to see the commissioning of 18 new game adaptations, with 78% of these being live action.
