These Video Game Films Collectively Grossed Nearly $5 Billion

Quick Links

• Resident Evil: The Final Chapter

• Sonic the Hedgehog

• Prince of Persia: Sands of Time

• The Angry Birds Movie

• Sonic the Hedgehog 2

• Uncharted

• Rampage

• Warcraft

• Pokémon Detective Pikachu

• The Super Mario Bros. Movie

Highlights

• The intersection of video games and cinema has been successful at the box office, as audiences are eager to see their favorite virtual worlds come to life on the big screen.
• The gaming industry is incredibly profitable, making more money than the music and movie industries combined. The global video game industry was valued at $159.3 billion in 2020.
• Successful video game films, such as Resident Evil, Sonic the Hedgehog, and The Super Mario Bros. Movie , have resonated with both gamers and the general audience, bringing in substantial box office earnings.

The intersection of video games and cinema has proven to be a moneymaker at the box office, with audiences eagerly swiping their cards for a chance to see their favorite virtual world come to life on the big screen.

As gaming continues to become more popular and sophisticated, so too have the video game films based on these titles.

This is due in part to the fact that video games now have a much larger and more diverse audience than ever before.

This includes not just gamers, but also the general audience, who are seeking to escape into new and exciting worlds.

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According to recent figures, the gaming industry is the most profitable in the broader business of entertainment, and as a whole, gaming makes more money than the music and movie industries combined.

The global video game industry was valued at $159.3 billion in 2020, with 2.7 billion gamers worldwide.

The marriage of the gaming and film industries has been widely successful at the box office so far – because nothing makes the box office react like nostalgia and curiosity.

10 Resident Evil: The Final Chapter

Global Box Office: $312.2 Million

Resident Evil: The Final Chapter marked the sixth and final installment in the original series, based on Capcom's renowned survival horror video game franchise.

The film breathed life into multiple aspects of the video game, such as the Umbrella Corporation.

This action-packed sequel brought the saga to a thrilling climax, following Alice (Milla Jovovich) as she races against time to stop the evil Corporation from unleashing a deadly virus that threatens to wipe out humanity.

Resident Evil: The Final Chapter brought the action, suspense, and horror for which the franchise is so popular to this installment – but also included several twists in its narrative to keep the audience on the edge of their seats.

The film earned $312 million at the box office.

This included a domestic haul of $26,830,068, an international total of $285,412,558, and a notable performance in China, where it grossed $159,548,686.

9 Sonic the Hedgehog

Global Box Office: $319.7 Million

Sonic the Hedgehog did not run into a bank vault at any time in the movie, but box office money ran directly into this film.

Sonic The Hedgehog catapulted from pixelated nostalgia to a cinematic sensation in 2020.

Despite initial controversies over character design, the film, featuring Ben Schwartz as the voice of the titular blue blur and Jim Carrey as the nefarious Dr. Robotnik, unsurprisingly won over audiences – and also raced to a remarkable $320,954,026 at the global box office.

With a charming blend of humor, action, and heartwarming moments, Sonic The Hedgehog ignited a wave of nostalgia for fans of the Blue Devil, and also drew in casual moviegoers.

The film earned $149 million domestically and $170.7 million in other territories.

It set the record for the biggest opening weekend for a video game film in the United States and Canada, earning $58 million in its first three days.

8 Prince of Persia: Sands of Time

Global Box Office: $336.3 Million

In spite of negative feedback from critics and fans for its screenplay, the whitewashing of the cast, and departure from the source material, Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time still made considerable gains at the box office.

Based on Ubisoft's popular video game franchise, the film follows Dastan (Jake Gyllenhaal), a rogue prince who must use his cunning and agility to protect the kingdom from an evil sorcerer.

Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time grossed over $336.4 million against a production budget of $200 million.

Despite mixed reviews, the film held the title of the highest-grossing video game adaptation for six years, until it was dethroned by Warcraft in 2016.

7 The Angry Birds Movie

Global Box Office: $352.3 Million

This Rovio Entertainment sensation became a massive mobile gaming flashpoint when it began appearing on small screens and devices in 2009.

With 4.5 billion downloads through mobile app stores (like Apple's App Store and Google Play), it did not take a rocket scientist to predict that Angry Birds' leap to the big screen would be a box office hit, given its cultural influence and abrupt global popularity.

The Angry Birds Movie arrived in theaters in 2016; the film successfully managed to pad out the game's simplistic premise to a well-structured narrative which, despite its shortcomings, raked in enough cash thanks to the game's billions of diehard fans.

The film's charming animation, lighthearted humor, and engaging characters resonated with casual audiences worldwide.

The Angry Birds Movie earned $107.5 million locally and $244.8 million in other countries, which totaled its earnings to $352 million.

6 Sonic the Hedgehog 2

Global Box Office: $405.4 Million

Following the success of the first film, the blue blur struck again, making nearly $100 million more than the successful original installment.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 raced to the top of the box office charts, grossing $405,421,518 worldwide against a production budget of $110 million.

The sequel expanded the story and introduced even more beloved characters from the Sonic universe, including Tails, Knuckles, and Shadow.

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The film's success was fueled by enthusiastic fans of the original games and critics, who praised its faithful portrayal of the video game characters and considered the film an improvement over the original.

It grossed $190.9 million domestically and became the highest-grossing video game film in the United States – until The Super Mario Bros. Movie hit theaters.

5 Uncharted

Global Box Office: $407.1 Million

Adapting the critically acclaimed and beloved video game franchise of the same name, Uncharted charted a course to box office success, grossing an impressive $407,141,258 worldwide against a production budget of $120 million.

Sony eventually brought the charismatic treasure hunter Nathan Drake to life, portrayed by Tom Holland.

Uncharted delivers an action-packed adventure filled with thrilling set pieces, witty banter, and a touch of swashbuckling pirate lore.

Despite facing initial skepticism from fans of the video games, Uncharted ended its theatrical run on a high note, crossing the $400 million worldwide mark in its fifteenth weekend.

Uncharted earned $148.6 million in the United States and Canada and $258.5 million in other territories.

4 Rampage

Global Box Office: $428.1 Million

You would be forgiven for not knowing that Rampage is a video game adaptation.

Loosely based on the 1980s arcade game of the same name, Rampage stars Dwayne Johnson as Davis Okoye, a primatologist who must team up with a geneticist (Naomie Harris) to stop three giant mutated animals from wreaking havoc on Chicago.

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Rampage was butchered by the critics. However, it was positively received by the audience, with praise for its performances, action sequences, and visual effects.

Rampage earned $101 million in the United States and Canada and $327 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $428 million against a production budget of $120 million.

3 Warcraft

Global Box Office: $439 Million

Blizzard Entertainment and Legendary Pictures collaborated to bring this iconic video game to life in 2016, and the fact that it reigned as the highest-grossing for seven years tells you all you need to know about its enduring popularity and impact.

The film's stunning visuals, enthralling storyline, and faithful portrayal of the Warcraft universe was well received by fans of the franchise.

Warcraft grossed $47.4 million in the United States and $391.7 million in other countries, for a worldwide total of $439 million.

While Warcraft's production budget of $160 million resulted in a slight loss, it's impressive worldwide gross put the possibility of a sequel into question.

2 Pokémon Detective Pikachu

Global Box Office: $450 Million

This groundbreaking live-action adaptation of the beloved Pokémon franchise electrified the box office.

With Ryan Reynolds as the titular Pikachu, Pokémon Detective Pikachu was a major hit at the theaters.

The film was praised by fans and critics, particularly for its innovative blend of live-action and CGI animation.

Despite heavy competition with Avengers: Endgame, Pokémon Detective Pikachu clocked unexpected numbers, grossing an impressive $450,062,638 worldwide against a production budget of $150 million.

The film was Nintendo's first live-action Pokémon film and one of its most successful films, which inspired the company to greenlight a sequel, currently in development at press time.

1 The Super Mario Bros. Movie

Global Box Office: $1.3 Billion

We have seen video games rake in billions in sales, but video game films raking in nine figures at the box office was unthinkable until The Super Mario Bros arrived.

This long-awaited adaptation of Nintendo's iconic video game franchise delivers a delightful blend of action, adventure, and humor, bringing the beloved characters of Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, and the Mushroom Kingdom to life on the big screen.

The film's broad interest, nostalgic appeal, and faithful adherence to its video game source material were largely responsible for its success.

While critics might not have given it a standing ovation, audiences propelled it to the summit, making it the highest-grossing video game film ever, crossing the $1.36 billion mark.

It also became the highest-grossing film produced by Illumination and had the biggest worldwide opening weekend for an animated film, after earning over $146 million worldwide during the traditional three-day weekend.

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