As video games have evolved to a point where single player, open world campaign adventures have become immensely popular, the online and multiplayer side of the industry has also advanced. The battle royale format has become arguably the most popular mode or type of game for multiplayer shooting games, as evidenced by the huge following and popularity that Call of Duty: Warzone, Fortniteand more have all collected.
On the movie side, Hollywood has always been interested in developing video games into movies. These efforts have yielded mixed results to say the least, with interesting and unique stories such as Assassin’s Creed not be translated well enough on the big screen. The video game movie market has arguably changed, at least in recent years. Movies like Mortal Kombat, Tomb Raider, Sonic the Hedgehogand not mapped have all received at least better reviews than some of the previous adaptations. Still, there remains a particular challenge for Hollywood in the form of an adaptation of a multiplayer game into a movie series. Rumors have been circulating for years about a possible Duty movie, but nothing came out. While it may not seem like it, the rise of the battle royale format and the incredible popularity that comes with it offers an opportunity to create a unique and captivating film adaptation. Here’s how it might work.
A Battle Royale movie should carefully choose which game to adapt for the screen. For example, Fortnite is arguably the most popular battle royale game, with an instantly recognizable name — an aspect Hollywood executives may be interested in, given the current state of the movie industry and looking to take advantage of existing property. However, it would be extremely difficult to adapt to film. It has an added level of fantasy in its gameplay with the addition of well-known fictional characters for gamers to play (Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Vader were recently added). Most other battle royale games, on the other hand, are more grounded (to varying degrees). A more straightforward approach would make more sense for a battle royale movie and would also benefit the potential story. Call of Duty: Warzone, APEX Legendsand more have a blank slate to work with and could form the basis for a potential movie.
The premise of a battle royale game is extremely simple at its core, and this is one aspect that could work well for a movie. A group of enemy soldiers all fight for survival in a shrinking location. In case of war zone, for example, a poisonous gas begins to overtake the map, forcing all remaining players to go inside. In Fortnite, a storm essentially serves the same purpose. There are more realistic routes to go down for a movie like this, as well as some that are a bit more fantastic in nature. If a movie took the realistic approach, this concept from the games could translate into something as simple as an atomic bomb detonating in the distance. Thus, the soldiers in the area would have only a limited amount of time to get to safety while defending themselves against enemy threats. Such a concept would make for a high-stakes, action-packed movie with plenty of suspense.
While many features of a battle royale game are missing, there have been a few confined space war action movies in the past for potential creators to watch. overlord, for example, was a 2018 World War II zombie action movie. American soldiers crash-land in a Nazi-occupied village and fight to get out and survive, amid the discovery of some science experiments nearby. Is in many ways an unofficial adaptation of Duty zombies, but the fact that it’s set in a confined space and area could demonstrate how to make an action movie that only has a defined location to work with.
This can be especially useful if: John Wick, Mission Impossible, James Bond, and many other action franchises rely heavily on location hopping and moving from one distinct environment to another. This wouldn’t be possible in a Battle Royale movie, but the forced hand in this regard could be an advantage. It could make the film feel more intense and pressurized, especially as the characters get physically closer to each other. By doing this, they would mimic the enclosing of the card in a video game, meaning it would at least be a faithful adaptation.
Having several soldiers or people fighting to stay alive in a location like this, all on opposite sides of a particular conflict (if this aspect were to be carried over from the games), gives filmmakers an opportunity to provide some social and political commentary. give up on war as well. In modern times, with the current state of the world, commentary like this in art is more important than ever. Having a (sort of) resolution that results in the characters coming together could make the movie even more emotional. While it may not seem like it at first glance, an action movie based on the battle royale formula can have a major impact on audiences.
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