10 Video Game Franchises That Deserve Their Own Netflix Series
Resident Evil is getting its own Netflix series, but what games should be next?
Netflix recently announced the development of a new Resident Evil series by Supernatural writer and co-showrunner Andrew Dabb. This show will explore New Raccoon City through the eyes of Jade Wesker as she tries to survive the apocalypse, with flashes to her childhood and the realisation that her father was a man of many secrets.
Unlike the Resident Evil film series, which mostly cobbled together some vaguely iconic images into a rough resemblance of a story, the Netflix show and its Wesker-family protagonist may give us a closer look at some obscure lore from the video games.
With this long-popular game series set to receive what might finally be the adaptation it deserves, it's time for Netflix to start looking at other popular video game franchises for potential series ideas. Much like Resident Evil, some of the following games have already received sub-par movie adaptations. But that doesn't mean they wouldn't benefit from a longer, more thoughtful storytelling approach.
Others in the following list have yet to receive movie treatment, but could still make for a compelling series if the story is handled just right. Please feel free to share your thoughts on these ideas, or some other games you'd like to see receive the Netflix treatment, in the comments below.
10. Silent Hill
The first Silent Hill movie drew numerous complaints, including the use of Pyramid Head in a story completely unrelated to James Sunderland. This alone marked a huge departure from the games, in which the most prominent monsters and symbols typically represent some aspect of the protagonist's life or psyche.
Silent Hill: Revelation attempted to make up for its predecessor's lack of faith regarding the source material, but the result was even worse.
Unpopular opinion: the first Silent Hill movie got it right. Departure from the source isn't necessarily a bad thing, and the film had some refreshing ideas. A great series could create new imagery while adapting and reusing the old, giving those adaptations enough backstory to not only justify their presence, but perhaps even add to the lore of the games.
If the showrunners feel like taking a small risk, they might even try something the movies never dared to try. In a style similar to Darin Morgan's off-the-wall scripts for The X-Files, a Silent Hill series could dedicate one episode per season to the type of humour the games have always offered fans in the form of secret endings.
Finally, if Netflix wants to draw in some of the more disenchanted members of the games' fanbase, they can start by finding a key role for Norman Reedus. Putting Guillermo del Toro in the director's chair might be a loftier feat, but getting a Silent Hills TV show would still be closer to a dream than getting no Silent Hills at all.