Video Game Adaptations Are Still a Go, This Time With Michael B. Jordan and Christopher McQuarrie Attached
Hollywood had spent the better part of the past two decades trying, usually in vain, to convince itself it can crack the video game code.
For the most part, those attempts had failed. 2005’s abysmal Doom. 2010’s fever-dream Prince of Persia. 2016’s Warcraft and Assassin’s Creed, arriving seven months apart, both gloomy, both panned, and both forgotten by Christmas. And don’t get me started on 2018’s Tomb Raider starring Alicia Vikander.
But then, when all hope was lost, Sonic the Hedgehog redesigned the titular protagonist’s CGI rodent teeth and the spell broke. Now, that movie has received two sequels, and the entire trilogy has grossed more than a whopping $1 billion against a budget of $90-120 million for each entry.
Then there’s the Super Mario Bros. Movie, which earned $1.360 billion at the box office. The Minecraft Movie, despite getting panned by every sane individual, managed to gross $960 million against a budget of $150 million. So even if they don’t garner critical acclaim, at least now the producers can cry about it all the way to the bank.
Enter the latest installment in the gold rush. The Hollywood Reporter broke the news that Christopher McQuarrie of Mission: Impossible fame is will write and direct a feature adaptation of EA’s Battlefield. Riding shotgun is Michael B. Jordan, who is fresh off his Oscar win for Sinners.
McQuarrie’s team allegedly spent Thursday and Friday pitching studios and streamers including Apple and Sony, with theatrical release blissfully a non-negotiable, which likely sidelines Netflix from the bidding entirely.
Now, I’m not sure quite how to feel about this. If there is to be a Battlefield adaptation (and that’s a big question mark itself: do we even need a Battlefield movie?) then McQuarrie is the perfect choice to direct it. Add to that an A-lister and you have all the makings of a project that will either be the Top Gun: Maverick of video game adaptations or the ultimate proof that maybe Hollywood should quit when it’s ahead.
Why now and why Battlefield
The timing on this isn’t exactly subtle. For the first time in history, Battlefield 6 did something nobody saw coming. It dethroned Call of Duty as the best-selling game in the United States for 2025, which is a first for the franchise in its decades-long rivalry with the Activision behemoth.
Hollywood does not adapt games it likes. Hollywood adapts games it can sell tickets to, and the data is now pointing towards Battlefield as the next big investment that could go off. Yes, the audience doesn’t necessarily see it that way. No, Hollywood will never learn from its mistakes. Yes, we’re probably all going to watch it, anyway.
Of course, there’s also the small matter of the rival on the other side of the trench. Paramount has already lined up a Call of Duty feature with Taylor Sheridan (Yellowstone everything) co-writing and Peter Berg (prime Mark Wahlberg enthusiast) directing.
Will Call of Duty and Battlefield become the next Barbenheimer? We don’t see it happening, but then, we’ve been surprised by showbiz before.
The Battlefield adaptation is climbing out of a graveyard
There’s no telling whether this adaptation, still in the early phases of conception, will ever see the light of day. It’s worth remembering that this isn’t the first time Hollywood has tried to drag Battlefield onto the silver screens.
Fox developed an action-comedy series based on Battlefield: Bad Company back in 2012 that died in development, and Paramount TV picked up the rights for a small-screen adaptation in 2016 that went the same way.
The current landscape does favor things to some extent. 2026’s pipeline reads like a console launch lineup. Mortal Kombat 2 in May, Resident Evil in September, Street Fighter in October, with Helldivers and Death Stranding and Elden Ring and a Zelda movie in 2027 and beyond. Battlefield arrives at a moment when the idea of a “video game movie” is no longer a taboo at studio meetings.
So, I guess the only question that remains is who will take the bait. Sony? Apple? Paramount? That one is highly unlikely, but the possibilities are near endless.
(featured image: Electronic Arts)
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