Video game adaptations were considered cheap cash grabs that were mostly bad. However, times are changing, and there are now several excellent game-to-film projects with box office numbers to back them up. While it’s no secret that the Super Mario Bros. Movie is a huge success, you might be surprised to learn which other films are among the highest-grossing video game movies of all time. More than one Resident Evil film has made a fortune despite the franchise not being known for producing high-quality films.
But enough teasing from us – Box Office Mojo has compiled a list of the ten most successful video game movies ever. Plenty of zombies, lightning-fast hedgehogs, and even a cameo from The Rock, So Let’s check The Most highest-grossing video game movies of all time
Contents
1. The Super Mario Bros. Movie
Release date April 5, 2023.
$677,959,700 in worldwide box office revenue
The 1993 live-action Super Mario Bros. Movie was based on the video game franchise. Despite mixed reviews from critics and fans, it became the highest-grossing video game movie ever, earning over $200 million worldwide. In the film, Brooklyn plumbers Mario and Luigi travel to a parallel universe to rescue Princess Daisy from King Koopa. The movie’s colorful visuals, memorable characters, and catchy soundtrack captured the franchise’s spirit despite deviating from the video game’s plot. The Super Mario Bros.
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The movie is often cited as a bad video game-to-film adaptation, despite its success. The movie will gross over a billion dollars worldwide before its theatrical run concludes. Who knows if it will reach that goal, but it’s already more than halfway there.
2. Warcraft
The movie: Warcraft was released on June 10, 2016
Worldwide box office: $439,048,914
Wow, here’s something that time has forgotten. Warcraft was the most successful video game film until this week, owing to Blizzard’s MMORPG World of Warcraft’s dominance for nearly a decade. Many people believe this was released a few years too late and would have made even more money had it been released during World of Warcraft’s peak around 2010. In any case, it performed admirably. The movie Warcraft earned very good revenue, and the maker went on to make a second part of the movie Warcraft 2.
3. Pokémon: Detective Pikachu
Release date: May 10, 2019
$449,762,638 in worldwide box office revenue
Can you believe Pokémon: Detective Pikachu isn’t ranked higher? We certainly can’t because this film was everywhere in 2019. Ryan Reynolds marketed this role as “Deadpool, but for kids,” which was a winning pitch, even if it came in third place. A sequel is reportedly still in the works, though we know little about it.
4. Rampage
Release date: April 13, 2018
Worldwide box office: $428,028,233
We wouldn’t blame anyone who didn’t realize Rampage was a video game film. It’s mostly one of the (many) films that serve as a vehicle for The Rock’s career – he seemed to want an excuse to fight giant monsters, and this relatively low-key arcade beat’em up franchise sufficed. Rampage made a lot of money, so they must have done something right.
5. Sonic The Hedgehog 2
Release date: April 8, 2022
Worldwide box office: $405,421,518
The blue blur retaliates, earning nearly 100 million more than the previous time. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is arguably the better film, so it deserves this honor. It’s also likely to feature Jim Carrey’s final big-screen appearance, which would be a fitting end for one of the biggest movie stars of all time if true.
Check out another post about The Top 5 Fantasy Movies Like Lord of the Rings
6. Uncharted
Release date: February 18, 2022
Worldwide box office: $401,748,820
Oh my goodness, this one. Uncharted isn’t a great film; it’s pretty mediocre all around. However, it’s almost a miracle that it was released at all, as various film studios had been desperately trying for over a decade to get Nathan Drake’s adventures on the big screen. Surprisingly, it took Tom Holland’s star power to get the project past the concept stage.
7. The Angry Birds Movie
Release date: May 20, 2016
Worldwide box office: $352,333,929
Remember when Angry Birds was the most popular video game ever? Your mother does, which is likely why every parent took their children to see The Angry Birds Movie when it was released. Similar to the franchise itself, however, this film left a little cultural imprint.
8. Prince Of Persia: Sands Of Time
Release date: May 28, 2010
Worldwide box office: 336,365,676
If you forgot about the Prince of Persia: Sands of Time film, you’re not alone. Even Jake Gyllenhaal probably does not wish to recall the time when Disney pretended he was an authentic representation of an ancient Persian street urchin. The film went on to earn a considerable amount of money and was much higher on this list until recent years.
9. Sonic The Hedgehog
Release date: February 14, 2020
Worldwide box office: $319,715,683
It can be argued that Sonic the Hedgehog was something of a revelation for Hollywood, demonstrating that video game adaptations can make fans happy and generate significant revenue. It is difficult to imagine The Last of Us on HBO being a success without the blue blur leading the charge. Indeed, Joel Miller owes Sonic absolutely everything.
10. Resident Evil: The Final Chapter
Release date: January 27, 2017
Worldwide box office: $312,242,626
Resident Evil: The Final Chapter by Paul W.S. Anderson barely made it into the top 10. The majority of video game fans were quite vocal about Milla Jovovich’s undead adventures having little to do with Capcom’s series – her character Alice wasn’t even in the video games!
Conclusion: video game movies have gone from low-budget cash grabs to successful films that appeal to a wider audience. Some adaptations have been criticized for deviating from the source material but have still grossed well. As gaming becomes more popular, we can expect more successful video game movie adaptations in the future.
