The entertainment industry has always been one big melting pot of content.
Books become TV shows. TV shows become movies. Movies get turned back into books. And somewhere in the middle, an original song or two occasionally emerges.
But for decades, video games sat outside this cycle. Their stories, heroes and villains thrived on the small screen, yet were rarely given a fair chance to shine in the cinematic spotlight. Gamers were dismissed as a "niche" audience.
Not anymore.
Recent video game adaptations have transformed the movie industry for the better—smashing box‑office records and bringing audiences back to cinemas in droves. They've proved what gamers have known all along: the adventures we play on our consoles are often the best stories in the business.
As Mario and friends gear up for their highly anticipated sequel this week, it’s clear that Hollywood has finally levelled up and is welcoming video games to the party. So how did we get here? What new crossovers are on the way? And why should you play the game before you watch the film?
From Mario to Minecraft, and doing video games justice on the big screen
Released in 2023, The Super Mario Bros. Movie was an undisputed success. It became the first video‑game adaptation to gross over $1 billion worldwide and the second-highest-grossing film of the year, just behind Barbie.
With figures like that, gamers clearly aren’t a niche audience - they’re practically everyone.
Starring Hollywood heavyweights such as Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy and Jack Black, the film managed to pull off the seemingly impossible: honouring more than 40 years of Mario history while creating a fresh, cinematic future for the franchise.
The film captured Nintendo nostalgia perfectly, inviting longtime fans and newcomers alike into its world. Its sequel, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, is expected to perform even better, with discussions already underway about follow-up films and character spin-offs for Peach, Luigi and more. In short: the Super Mario cinematic universe is now inevitable.
And Mario is just one example of a much bigger trend.
From family-friendly hits like A Minecraft Movie, Sonic the Hedgehog and Detective Pikachu, to more mature titles such as Uncharted, Until Dawn and Mortal Kombat, there’s no shortage of game-to-screen crossovers across genres and audiences—and more are on the way.
Upcoming live-action films including Ghost of Tsushima, Horizon Zero Dawn, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and The Legend of Zelda prove that games are now a wellspring of creativity. They’ve become the source material from which film, TV and even music increasingly draw inspiration.
And the timing makes perfect sense.
These characters and worlds have already been battle-tested. They’re beloved global stories, selling tens of millions of copies and shaping pop culture for decades.
As a gamer, I’m excited for this new era - not just for the films themselves, but for the possibility that more people will finally start celebrating video games as rich storytelling mediums in their own right. We grew up with these characters. So why shouldn't they be celebrated in other media?
"Have you played the game first?" – The inescapable influence of video games
How many times have you been asked before a cinema trip, "Have you read the book first?" Or found yourself debating whether a TV adaptation did justice to the original?
Soon, that question might swap the book for a game.
While The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is expected to break even more box‑office records - and inevitably inspire a wave of viral songs - its success comes from two beloved games released in 2007 and 2010.
It’s becoming increasingly clear: the games we’re playing now are the films and shows we’ll be watching in the future. Video games are no longer on the sidelines - they’re now an unavoidable pillar of culture.
Blockbuster hits like Mario and Minecraft, along with TV successes such as Fallout and The Last of Us, prove the medium’s strength beyond doubt. So maybe it’s time to ask before heading to the cinema: Have you played the game first?
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie releases in cinemas on April 1st. Super Mario Galaxy 1 & 2 are available now on Nintendo Switch
