Despite the disappointing reception of the TV adaptation of Halo, Microsoft remains undeterred in its pursuit of bringing more of its video game franchises to the screen. Phil Spencer, the head of Microsoft Gaming, has expressed optimism about future adaptations during an interview with Variety, ahead of the release of "A Minecraft Movie," a cinematic adaptation of the popular Microsoft-owned game, Minecraft, starring Jack Black. The success of this film could pave the way for sequels, further expanding Microsoft's footprint in the entertainment industry.
Microsoft's journey into video game adaptations has seen mixed results. Following the success of the "Fallout" series on Prime Video, which is set to return for a second season, the company faced a setback with the "Halo" TV series, which was canceled after two seasons due to poor reception. However, Spencer remains confident, stating that Microsoft is learning and growing from these experiences, which is boosting their confidence to explore more adaptations.
"We’re learning and growing through this process, which is giving us more confidence that we should do more," Spencer told Variety. He emphasized that each project, whether successful like "Fallout" or not, like "Halo," contributes to their learning curve. "We learned from doing Halo. We learned from doing Fallout. So all of these build on themselves. And obviously we’ll have a couple that miss. But what I’d say to the Xbox community that likes this work is, ‘You’re going to see more, because we’re gaining confidence and we’re learning through this.’"
Looking ahead, speculation abounds about which Xbox game might be next in line for adaptation. In 2022, Netflix announced plans for a live-action film and an animated series based on "Gears of War," though updates have been sparse, with actor Dave Bautista expressing interest in playing Marcus Fenix.
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Given the success of "Fallout," there's speculation that Prime Video might consider an "Elder Scrolls" or "Skyrim" TV show. However, with Amazon already producing fantasy series like "The Rings of Power" and "The Wheel of Time," they might feel their fantasy slate is sufficiently covered.
Sony's success with the "Gran Turismo" movie suggests that Microsoft might consider a "Forza Horizon" film. With Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard, there's potential for a "Call of Duty" movie or another attempt at a "Warcraft" adaptation. Jason Schreier's book, "Play Nice: The Rise, Fall, and Future of Blizzard Entertainment," revealed that Activision Blizzard had been developing series for "Warcraft," "Overwatch," and "Diablo" with Netflix, which did not come to fruition. Microsoft could potentially revive these projects.
On a lighter note, Microsoft now owns the "Crash Bandicoot" franchise, which could be ripe for an animated movie or TV series, especially given the success of similar adaptations like "Mario" and "Sonic." The upcoming reboot of "Fable" in 2026 might also be a candidate for adaptation. And, despite the previous setback, there's always the possibility of Microsoft giving "Halo" another chance, this time as a big-budget movie.
Microsoft's competitors, Sony and Nintendo, are further along in their adaptation efforts. Sony has seen success with the "Uncharted" movie, HBO's "The Last of Us," and "Twisted Metal," which is set for a second season. Sony has also announced adaptations for "Helldivers 2," "Horizon Zero Dawn," and an anime version of "Ghost of Tsushima," with the "God of War" TV show already confirmed for two seasons.
Nintendo, on the other hand, boasts the most successful video game adaptation to date with "The Super Mario Bros. Movie," which is set to have a sequel, alongside a live-action adaptation of "The Legend of Zelda."
