After hits like "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" or "The Last of Us," movie and series adaptations of video games are totally on the rise. In this KinoCheck Original, we introduce you to the next big projects that we are particularly looking forward to!

Borderlands - August 9, 2024

Director Eli Roth will bring us one of the most popular shooters on the big screen next year: "Borderlands" will tell us the story of the infamous treasure hunter Lilith. She reluctantly returns to her home planet and sets off in search of an alien vault that supposedly contains advanced technology.

The adaptation of the famous game series features a phenomenal cast: multiple Oscar winner Cate Blanchett will take on the leading role of Lilith. Kevin Hart, Jack Black, Edgar Ramirez and Jamie Lee Curtis will likewise be part of this film.

Sadly, the project is not under the best of circumstances: In addition to several additional shoots with a new director, the screenwriter also dropped his name from the film - which doesn't speak volumes for anyone's faith in the quality of the project. The release date is August 9, 2024, which means we will probably be able to see for ourselves what the movie has to offer around that time.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 - December 20, 2024

The iconic hedgehog Sonic will be speeding across screens again next year. After his last adventure in 2022, Sonic and his friends will now have to deal with Shadow the Hedgehog. Whether Jim Carrey will also return as Dr. Robotnik is still unclear - after all, the actor has announced his retirement.

"Sonic the Hedgehog 3" attracted attention thanks to an unusual solution that allowed filming to begin despite the actors' strike: The movie was initially shot without the participation of the actors and the focus was exclusively on the CGI characters, as these are set to play a bigger part in the third installment anyway. "Sonic 3" will be released on December 20, 2024.

Minecraft - April 4, 2025

One of the biggest phenomena in video game history is also being made into a movie: Warner announced back in 2014 that a "Minecraft" movie was in the works. Now the plan is coming to fruition, as the movie will hit theaters in 2025. Not too much information is known about the plot yet, but according to some leaks, it will be about the journey of a girl who travels to the blocky world with a group of adventurers to save it from the Ender Dragon. The games' fun and creativity could therefore also be the focus of the cinematic adaptation.

With Jason Momoa and Pedro Pascal, two actors have already been cast who are very popular due to their likeable nature. Pascal was previously convincing in the series adaptation of "The Last of Us." "Minecraft" is slated to be released on April 4, 2025.

Gears of War

Netflix is teaming up with developers The Coalition to make an adaptation of the third-person shooter "Gears of War." The first part of the game sold over five million copies worldwide, led to numerous sequels, novels and comics and is regarded as one of the most popular representatives of its genre.

The video game is about a civilization on the brink of extinction, fighting against an overwhelming alien threat on the planet Sera. In Hollywood, a movie adaptation of the story has been planned for quite some time, and now Netflix has secured the rights. The streaming giant has also signed on renowned screenwriter Jon Spaihts, who co-wrote "Dune," for example. Zack Snyder was interested as well and is considered a strong contender for the director's position.

There is also speculation as to whether Dwayne Johnson will take on the starring role of Marcus Fenix. In addition to the film adaptation, an animated series aimed specifically at adults is also planned. The movie doesn't have a release date yet.

Metal Gear Solid

A movie adaptation of "Metal Gear Solid" has also been on Hollywood's to-do list for some time. Concrete plans for a movie were made as early as 2006, but were postponed indefinitely in 2010. In 2012, "Uncharted" producer Avi Arad brought the project back to life and was able to win over Jordan Vogt-Roberts as a capable director for the project. Roberts was previously in charge of the blockbuster "Kong: Skull Island." Likewise, it was announced that Oscar Isaac will play the role of Solid Snake. Isaac commented on the project in 2022, saying that they were still working on it and that the film was definitely still on his radar. It all depended on finding the right story. At the time, he even assumed that filming would presumably be able to start in 2022 - but since then, nothing has been heard about the project.

"Metal Gear Solid" revolves around the genetically modified super agent Solid Snake, who has to deal with powerful enemies. We will likely have to keep on waiting for a specific release date a while longer.

Ghost of Tsushima

The samurai adventure "Ghost of Tsushima," developed by Sucker Punch, was a hit among fans of Japanese mythology in 2020. It particularly appealed with a beautiful game world, references to the Akira Kurosawa films and a captivating story. The game focuses on the Mongol invasion of the island of Tsushima, which is part of Japan. The player takes on the role of the samurai Jin Sakai, who puts up a fight against the invaders.

Due to the cinematic production of the game, the decision was made to adapt the material for the big screen. The director is to be none other than "John Wick" director Chad Stahelski - an absolute master in his field and a big fan of the game himself. Stahelski has already confirmed that the project is being worked on at full speed and that he would like to turn it into a two or two-and-a-half hour movie. A release date for the "Ghost of Tsushima" movie is sadly not known yet.

The Last of Us Season 2 - 2024/2025

HBO achieved a phenomenal success with the series adaptation of the fantastic video game "The Last of Us." The series was able to thrill fans of the game as well as new viewers and scored particularly well with its dedication to the original. The casting of Pedro Pascal as Joel and Bella Ramsey as Ellie was initially met with skepticism. However, after the release of the first episodes, these doubts were immediately cleared up.

The series' quality not only impressed viewers, but also the Television Academy - resulting in 25 Emmy nominations. It should therefore come as no surprise that a second season will follow, which was originally due to be released in late 2024 or early 2025 and will focus on the events from the second part of the video game. However, the Hollywood strikes are likely to cause a delay to the release date, as production is currently suspended. Filming was originally planned to kick off at the end of 2023, but has now been postponed for the time being. Nevertheless, we are glad that the story of Joel and Ellie is far from over.

Arcane Season 2 - 2024

The animated League of Legends series "Arcane" proved to be an unexpected Netflix hit in 2021 and was awarded 4 Emmys. Since then, fans have been eagerly awaiting a second season, which is still a long time coming. It has been announced that the second season will not be released until winter next year. Riot Games CEO Nicolo commented on the plans for the second season, stating that there were basically two reasons for the delays. Firstly, they wanted to take their time in order to maintain a high level of quality. Secondly, production could only begin when the success of season 1 became apparent.

There is no information about the story yet, but "Arcane" season 2 is likely to pick up where season 1 ended with a big cliffhanger. Vi, Jinx and Caitlyn will also be back in season 2.

"Arcane" is set in the divided city state of Piltover, which is made up of a wealthy and an impoverished part. Two sisters grow up in the hostile environment of the poor district and commit a robbery in the rich one, triggering a chain of disastrous events.

Fallout - April 12, 2024

The "Fallout" franchise is one of the most popular and successful role-playing games of all time and includes several parts and spin-offs. On the 25th anniversary of the series, it was announced that it would also be adapted into a series format. Amazon acquired the rights and will release the series next year.

Christopher Nolan's brother Jonathan, who has already written the scripts for "Interstellar" and "Westworld," will be responsible for the screenplays for "Fallout." He will be assisted by his wife Lisa Joy. With Walton Goggins, the series has already secured the involvement of a well-known actor. According to early speculation, the series is about the survivors of Vault 33 and takes place in Los Angeles.

A first trailer was revealed exclusively at this year's Gamescom in Germany and showed footage of the so-called Brotherhood of Steel. It is therefore only a matter of time before the general public can also enjoy the first moving images. In the meantime, the release date has also been set: the "Fallout" series will debut on Amazon Prime Video on April 12, 2024.

The Legend of Zelda

This news was a bombshell: "The Legend of Zelda" is being adapted for the big screen as a live-action movie! After "The Super Mario Bros. Movie," this time Nintendo is teaming up with Sony to put together what appears to be a very big budget. The expectations are huge, as the "Zelda" games are one of the most beloved franchises ever. The director is Wes Ball, who made a name for himself with "The Maze Runner" and will soon be in charge of "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes". The script was written by Derek Connolly, who already has some experience in video game adaptations thanks to "Detective Pikachu."

The search for suitable leading actors will surely not be an easy task - after all, Link and Zelda are two absolute icons in the gaming world. After the announcement of the movie in November 2023, it will certainly take some time before "The Legend of Zelda" will finally hit theaters. We can hardly wait!

God of War

In addition to "Fallout," Amazon will also be behind another series adaptation that is expected to raise high expectations: The talk is of "God of War." In 2022, the head of Sony Television Studios, Katherine Pope, revealed that work had begun on the series.

Rumors were already circulating on the X platform that Dwayne Johnson could possibly assume the role of the main character Kratos. However, Johnson immediately denied the rumors. "The Last of Us" is sure to have raised the bar for adaptations of well-known Sony games. It is feasible, however, that "God of War" will prove to be similarly successful - the story and popularity of the games certainly suggest so. When exactly we can expect the "God of War" series is still uncertain.

Splinter Cell

"Splinter Cell" agent Sam Fisher is to return as part of a series - but in a different way than expected. The adaptation of "Splinter Cell" will not be a live-action adaptation, but instead an anime series from Netflix. Derek Kolstadt, who has previously worked as a writer for "John Wick," will write and produce the series.

The Netflix series will initially comprise 2 seasons with a total of 16 episodes and tell the story of U.S. Navy SEAL Sam Fisher, who is recruited by the NSA to work for the ominous Third Echelon directorate within the agency. The core elements of the game involved complex levels in which Fisher was guided through various missions in stealth mode - with tactics and skill being the most important factors. It remains to be seen whether the adaptation will incorporate these elements. The series doesn't have a release date as of yet.