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Jack Black has become something of a video game movie veteran lately. From voicing Bowser inThe Super Mario Bros. Movieto bringing Claptrap to life in (the disastrous)Borderlands, and now gearing up for his role in the upcoming live-action adaptation ofMinecraft(why?), the actor seems determined to leave his mark on every major gaming adaptation in Hollywood.
But during a recent interview, Black expressed genuine surprise about one particular gaming franchise that hasn’t made the leap to the silver screen yet. The reason behind this particular franchise’s absence from Hollywood, as it turns out, is both fascinating and somewhat ironic.
And it all comes down to a decision made years ago by one of the gaming industry’s most influential figures.
Jack Black’s Take on Gaming’s Biggest Missing Movie
WhenTotal Filmasked him about which games he’d love to see get the Hollywood treatment, Black didn’t hesitate to point out what he saw as a glaring omissionin the current wave of video game adaptations:
I can’t believe they haven’t already started making a movie of any of the Rockstar Games – Grand Theft Auto, but especially Red Dead Redemption.
But he didn’t stop there.
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The actor and comedian went on to explain his reasoning, highlighting what many gamers have long recognized:
Those things are already like movies, you know? I guess that’s the thing. Some video games are already halfway there to telling those kind of stories, and there are some movies that are like video games.
Black’s observation isn’t wrong.Red Dead Redemption, in particular, has been praised for its cinematic storytelling, rich character development, and atmospheric world-building that rivals many Hollywood westerns. The game’s sprawling narrative and memorable performances would seem to make it a perfect candidate for a big-screen adaptation.
The Surprising Reason Behind the Missing Adaptation
However, there’s a compelling reason why we haven’t seen Arthur Morgan or John Marston riding across movie theater screens.Dan Houser, the revered longtime writer and producer behind bothGrand Theft AutoandRed Dead Redemption, had consistently turned down opportunities to adapt these games for film or television.
Speaking toThe Ankler, Houser recently revealed thatRockstarhad received numerous pitches over the years, but they always saw these potential adaptations as too risky. The studio was protective of their multi-billion-dollar franchises, and given the historically poor track record of video game movies, they feared that bad adaptations could do more harm than good.
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“They thought we’d be blinded by the lights and that just wasn’t the case,”Houser explained, highlighting how the economics and risks never made sense to them, especially during an era when video game adaptations were largely considered box office poison.
We had what we considered to be multi-billion-dollar IP, and the economics never made sense. The risk never made sense. In those days, the perception was that games made poor-quality movies.
Of course, times have changed. With successful adaptations likeThe Witcher,The Last of Us, and, most recently,Falloutproving that gaming properties can be translated effectively into compelling TV series, and films likeThe Super Mario Bros. Movieand theSonic the Hedgehogfranchise dominating the box office, perhaps we’ll see Rockstar’s stance soften in the future.
But for now, these gamesWILL continue to tell their cinematic stories exclusivelythrough the medium they were designed for.
What do you think? ShouldRed Dead RedemptionorGrand Theft Automake the leap to the big screen, or are these games better left as interactive experiences? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Soumyajit Mukherjee
Gaming Writer
Articles Published :965
Soumyajit Mukherjee is a Gaming Writer at FandomWire, known for his deep dives into tactical shooters and co-op games. Since joining in June 2024, he’s focused on breakout multiplayer titles like Helldivers 2 and Marvel Rivals, bringing sharp analysis and veteran instincts to every story. His gaming journey began at a local café with the OG Modern Warfare 2, and from that very first frag, he’s been chasing the rush ever since.A former competitive Rainbow Six Siege team captain, Soumyajit has played and written about everything from CS:GO, Valorant, Overwatch, and Apex Legends to Rocket League, Call of Duty, and Battlefield. He’s proudly PC-first and has been since said LAN days… but with GTA 6 looming on the horizon, a long-overdue PS5 might finally sneak onto his setup.
