We just got new trailers for Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and the Halo live-action TV series, so we’re on a roll with video game adaptations. Of course, Chris Pratt will play Mario, and an Uncharted film is on the way. Among these big hitters, Netflix has announced that Mega Man, the Capcom “blue bomber” who has been blasting his way through classic side-scrollers since 1987 on the original NES, will be joining them.
A Mega Man film has been in the works at Chernin Entertainment since 2015, and it got official in 2018 when Capcom confirmed it will be a live-action picture (!) with Henry Joost and Rel Schulman, probably best known for Catfish, slated to write and direct. However, the directorial pair just announced on their Supermarché company website that the film had been taken up by Netflix (via Comicbook and IGN).
“Features in the pipeline include: a Chernin Entertainment and Netflix adaptation of Capcom’s MEGA MAN, which they authored and directed,” according to the website.
Unfortunately, there’s no word on how far the film is along or when it will be released. (Sources tell IGN that it’s still in the early stages of development.) However, as several have pointed out, Netflix has a first-look agreement with Chernin, so it’s possible that Netflix saw something it liked. Netflix and Supermarché did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Of course, the gold rush to capture video game intellectual property for Hollywood adaptation extends far beyond the films and shows I’ve discussed thus far, and Netflix has clearly seen the potential owing to the success of its The Witcher and Castlevania series. Netflix is also developing Resident Evil and Tomb Raider episodes, as well as a live-action Pokémon series, according to reports. It sees a lot of promise in gaming, even when it comes to acquiring film studios.
Aside from Netflix, we’ve recently seen Monster Hunter and Mortal Kombat movies, and there’s a The Last of Us TV program on HBO, a possible Mass Effect show on Amazon, a Fallout show on Amazon, and cinematic adaptations of Ghost of Tsushima and Metal Gear Solid. It’s possible that a Portal film may be made eventually.
All I’m saying is that we’ve gone a long way since Uwe Boll.
