A great number of Xbox franchises are suited for television development.
Games like Tomb Raider and Assassin’s Creed have made the jump to the big screen, while The Last of Us is coming to our television sets in the near future. Not every game is capable of being successful in both mediums. The movie adaptation of Ratchet and Clank which was released in 2016 proves that point.
Let’s talk about some Xbox franchises that could be turned into entertaining and exciting television shows that are either in development or haven’t made that jump yet.
Halo
One iconic game franchise that has made a leap into other mediums is Halo.
Alongside the many novels based in the Halo universe, this franchise has released live-action movies and shows in the past, with one currently in development.
Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn was a live-action web series that launched in 2015, leading up to the release of Halo 4. Reviews and reactions for the web series were mixed as critics mentioned some characters weren’t as developed as they should’ve been. Some aspects of the series that were well received were its soundtrack as well as its CGI.
Currently, another Halo show is in development for Showtime and will debut on Paramount Plus in 2022. Originally announced in 2018, this new Halo show will be produced by Steven Spielberg as well as 343 Industries.
We are unaware of whether or not this new show will feature Master Chief himself, or showcase other characters in the Halo universe. It will be amazing to see this large world brought to a wider audience, and with a bigger budget shortly after we experience Halo Infinite later this year.
Tomb Raider
Although Tomb Raider has been a movie franchise in the past and was recently rebooted thanks to the newest iteration of the video game franchise, a television show may be a better option for this game moving forward.
Treasure hunting and tomb raiding are the main themes for the Tomb Raider franchise. There aren’t many popular shows that fully capture this idea. Disney is producing a National Treasure television show, but Tomb Raider is more gritty and adult when compared to the Disney movie. It would be wise to capitalize on this series.
The most recent film adaptation did well enough to secure a sequel, but the movie wasn’t received as well as it could have been. While it does make sense for a successful franchise to make the leap to the bigger screen, television has proven recently that a story could be better developed and told through several episodes spanning multiple hours.
Whether they are stories repeated from previous films or games, brand new adventures with Lara on her own, or a momentary flashback to her father’s adventures, Lara Croft has plenty of stories worth telling.
Sunset Overdrive
Sunset Overdrive was a launch title for the Xbox One and flew under the radar for many players who did not own the Xbox console.
There are many parts of Sunset Overdrive that would make for a fantastic and unique show.
Sunset City is the fictional metropolis in which Sunset Overdrive takes place. It features traversal transportation and distinct areas for players to explore. It is a very colorful universe that popped up on the Xbox One in 2013 and would be even more beautiful on a TV screen in 2021.
The storyline about a soda company that released a contaminated drink that turned Sunset City’s citizens into mutated versions of themselves sounds entertaining by itself. The amount of subplots that could be created is immeasurable. While it can be compared to any other zombie show that has been on TV for over a decade, the way the main character takes down the mutants is what would really make this show unique.
What made Sunset Overdrive special, and would separate it from any other zombie show on television is its weapons. Shooting a Teddy Bear strapped with TNT out of your gun would make for incredible explosions when the main character uses the TNTeddy.
Another weapon that would make for memorable executions is the Roman Candle. While it works as a usual weapon, instead of bullets, players are shooting fireworks at their enemies which would make for a colorful execution.
Cuphead
Besides Halo, another Xbox game that is taking the leap to become a television show is Cuphead.
The Cuphead Show! is currently being produced and will be released in 2021 for Netflix. Although it will not be completely hand-drawn like the video game was, the animated series will still feature some hand drawn characters and movement. This is likely due to time constraints for drawing the entire series.
Cuphead took the world by storm when it was released in 2017. Winning became a crowning achievement for gamers. Even though the game was fairly difficult to complete, the two main characters, Mugman and Cuphead were adorable protagonists who weren’t ready for the large adventure that awaited them.
Mugman and Cuphead will surely steal the show in The Cuphead Show!, but there are many other characters from the hit game that we speculate could be making an appearance.
Gears of War
Going from zombies to pouncers, Gears of War is an Xbox franchise that could make a fantastic television show.
Several television dramas are based around family. Similarly, the Gears 5 campaign is based around the family history of Kait Diaz. Following the storyline of that particular campaign would make a great transition into the television medium.
In addition to the story of Kait Diaz, it would be fascinating to see what happened in the 25-year gap between Gears of War 3 and GoW 4. Seeing Marcus raise JD into the swarm fighter he is now and how their relationship had become distanced is a fascinating aspect of the Gears franchise that we haven’t seen much of. It would be perfect to address in the form of a television series.
Gears takes place in a dark and grim world, but it carries a lot of lore across the six games in the franchise. Taking advantage of each unique character, digging deeper into their personal lives, and adding more depth to flesh them out would add a lot of detail to this franchise many fans would love to see.
Whether Gears of War makes its way to the television screen or a movie theater near you, it will have a Hollywood actor attached to it immediately.
Dave Bautista, Drax from Guardians of the Galaxy, has made it publicly known that he would love to star in a Gears of War film. He recently turned down a role in a Fast & Furious franchise in hopes of having a Gears film made.
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