Adaptations of blockbuster video games do not do well when they are turned into movies or television series.
In a list compiled by Box Office Mojo, only five films in the genre have crossed $400 million in grosses. The top one, “Warcraft” (2016) – which grossed $439 million worldwide – is not among the top 250 on the overall box office list.
Other rare successes include “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider” (2001) starring Angelina Jolie and more recently Netflix’s Emmy-winning animated series “Arcane” set in the “League of Legends” universe.
“What makes video games entertaining doesn’t always make movies/shows entertaining, and vice versa,” said Casillo.
In the case of “The Last of Us,” he explained, “the post-apocalyptic story taps into a popular genre outside of gaming as well, and HBO has a long track record of being successful with dramatic series.”
