Summary
Piggybacking on the huge success of video game adaptations over recent years, which includeThe Last of Usand Amazon’sFallout,Sonyis now looking at broadening its video game horizons even more with anAstro Botmovie or TV series. Adaptations of some of gaming’s most beloved video games haven’t always been a success, with the likes of Uwe Boll’s 2008 adaption of the popular first-person shooter seriesFar Crywhich, even though the budget was $30 million, made less than $800,000 globally.
The 2010 adaptation ofThePrince of PersiaandMonster Hunter,a 2020adaptation byResident Evildirector Paul W. S. Anderson, didn’t do any better. However, over the past few years, the dire situation has thankfully changed where fans have received video game adaptations that aren’t just good according to past standards, but movies and TV shows that have actually had thought put into them from the viewpoint of gamers and not just Hollywood execs. Following in the shoes of the likes ofSonic the Hedgehog,Detective Pikachu,andThe Super Mario Bros. Movie,the highly acclaimed title developed by Team Asobi looks like it could be next on the ever-growing list, according to PlayStation Productions lead.
An Astro Bot Movie or TV Series Is Being Considered by Sony
In an interview withVariety,PlayStation Productions lead Asad Qizilbash revealed that the company is “absolutely” considering a movie or TV series adaptation of the beloved video game title,Astro Bot.When asked about how PlayStation Productions decides which games should get the video game adaptation treatment and if they will prove to be worth the risk, Qizilbash explained thatAstro Botpicked up numerous awards last year, including the Game Award for Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2024 and the D.I.C.E. Award for Game of the Year at the 28th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards, so it has since built up an audience of enthusiasts. “For us, it’s, ‘OK, we’ve established one of our franchises as a great game. It’s starting to get a built-in audience. It’s winning awards.’ Those are very early indicators for us to want to try and grow that franchise and grow that IP.”
“I think what people have seen in Hollywood is that video game adaptations, if done right, can actually be very popular, and they scale really well. That’s been a big sea change that I’ve seen in the last five, six years, since we’ve really started to come and deliver some great content. Because of that, there’s a confidence level that the film industry is seeing. For one, they’re seeing that some of the great creative ideas of stories are coming from video games — and I truly believe that some of the best stories you are seeing are from video games.”
Astro Bothas also sold 1.5 million units as of November 2024, making it one of the best-selling PlayStation 5 games, so it makes sense that Sony would want to give the family-friendly platforming title an adaptation spin. However, Qizilbash did note that it’s not just awards and nominations that are the driving force behind adapting a video game for them, as some IPs just have “great stories that a creator really wants to adapt it.” This will prove to be an interesting factor forAstro Botas the games don’t really include in-depth narratives and merely follows the storyline of an adorable robot who goes on quests to save lost Bots, retrieve parts for the mothership, and defeat aliens but if the success of the2023Super Mario Bros. Movieis anything to go by, sometimes the simplest things in life can become some of the best.
Astro Botisn’t the only project up PlayStation Productions' sleeve. The company also hasadaptations ofGod of War, Ghost of Tsushima,Gravity Rush, Horizon,andDays Gonein the pipeline, so it seems as though fans of video game adaptations will be eating good for the foreseeable future.
