Some of the most iconic action movies have been based on fan-favorite video games.
It makes sense since video game developers spend a lot of time thinking about the story and different plot lines that move the game along.
These movies also serve as an introduction to the gaming world for those who might not know how to click the “X” button and provide more content for fans of the original games.
So, here are some killer facts about movies based on video games that even the most dedicated gamers will find fascinating.
Facts you didn’t know about movies based on video games
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Tomb Raider
Tomb Raider is one of the biggest gaming franchises of all time.
The game was created by only six people, who made history since it sold over 58 million copies.
The title character, Lara Croft, was originally named Laura Cruz.
But, Angelina Jolie was not always set to play the iconic character
Jennifer Love-Hewitt really wanted to play the role of Lara Croft in the film, but the director Simon West could only picture Angelina Jolie.
And, Daisy Ridley, Emilia Clarke, Saoirse Ronan, and Kristen Stewart were close to playing the part in the 2018 reboot before Alicia Vikander landed the iconic role.
However, Angelina couldn’t see herself in the iconic Lara Croft shorts. It took her a moment to get used to them.
And it was the scenery that sold the idea to her
Angelina agreed to do the film because of all the locations she would visit while filming.
“But they said you can travel the world and train with the British Military and so I had three months of seeing what I could do. And I would encourage anybody to do that,” Jolie said.
She performed a lot of her own stunts
The A-List star mastered the 2001 film’s bungee-ballet without a stunt double. And actually injured her ankle in the process. It had to be reshot when she recovered.
The scenes where Angelina is driving a jeep also had to be reshot because snakes and other critters kept dropping into the car.
They obviously incorporated a lot of aspects from the original game
Near the end of the film when Lara finds a wolf pack, she says “a-ha”. This is a nod to the original games where Lara used the phrase whenever she picked up an item.
We love props
The picture inside of Lara’s father’s pocket watch is actually Lynda Carter.
After filming, Angelina kept Lara’s holsters as a keepsake. Lara Croft Way in Derby, England was named to honor where the designers created the iconic character.
Mortal Kombat
It only took 10 months and 4 people to create the original Mortal Kombat game.
The 1995 Mortal Kombat film is the fourth highest-grossing video game adaptation of all time, after Tomb Raider, Prince of Persia: Sands of Time, and Pokemon: The First Movie.
Fun fact for movie buffs
The film was heavily influenced by the 1973 film Enter the Dragon.
Who is who?
Jean-Claude Van Damme actually turned down the role of Johnny Cage to do Street Fighter. Which is funny because the character in the games was allegedly originally based on him.
Chris Casamassa was initially only hired to work as a stunt ninja. The producers were so thrilled with his audition that he was cast in the role of Scorpion.
Meanwhile, Sean Connery was the first choice to play Rayden. He turned down the role because it was too physical and he wanted to play golf.
Cameron Diaz was seriously considered for the role of Sonya Blade, but she broke her wrist before filming.
And, Ed Boon was not only the voice of Scorpion in the original video game but also a co-creator and a creative consultant for the movie.
And she wasn’t the only one who got hurt
However, onset injuries were actually quite minimal. There were only a few bruises and broken ribs.
Other stars wanted to crash
The medic on set also worked as the security guard and turned away a curious Tom Cruise.
Mortal Kombat super fan Steven Spielberg was meant to make a cameo in the film, but scheduling conflicts forced him to back out of the project.
No one expected it to be so successful
Director Paul W.S. Anderson was incredibly nervous about how the film would be received. He hunkered down in Hawaii during the premiere only to regret his choice.
The movie grossed $23.3 million opening weekend. That was 8 times more than the next highest release, The Baby-Sitters Club.
Resident Evil
Just like Tomb Raider, the Resident Evil game was conceived in 1993 and released in 1996.
Zombies weren’t big at the time
While zombie movies and shows are everywhere today, the studio was worried audiences wouldn’t want to watch the living dead at the time.
It had been almost 15 years since a zombie movie had hit big.
Clearly, they were wrong
The Resident Evil franchise has grossed over $1 billion.
They took some creative freedoms
Milla Jovovich agreed to do the movie because her brother was a huge fan of the video games.
But her character, Alice, never appears in the video games. Alice’s name is never spoken in the film either. It’s only revealed in the credits.
The movie was originally meant to be titled Resident Evil: Ground Zero. They dropped “Ground Zero” after September 11th, 2001.
Are they zombies though?
The word zombie is also never actually used in the film.
The makeup team had an incredibly difficult time with the zombie dogs because they kept licking the fake blood and meat off themselves.
More stunts
Jovovich did all of her own stunts in the film except for the pipe jump in the sewer scene.
And, the movie inspired the game as well
The iconic laser grid from the first film made its way into the Resident Evil 4 game.
There’s a hidden easter egg in the passcode for the door in dining hall B. The code 04031965 is actually the writer and director Paul W.S Anderson’s birthday.
These iconic video games have changed movie history. And, hopefully, the two mediums will continue to inspire each other.
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