Jack Black Wants To Make Red Dead Redemption Into A Movie
Jack Black says he thinks it's time for Red Dead Redemption to get a screen adaptation.
Jack Black delivers an uproarious performance as Bowser in The Super Mario Bros. Movie, but the actor is already looking ahead to another video game adaptation. Jack Black told BBC that he wants to see the western video game Red Dead Redemption adapted into a movie, citing HBO’s The Last of Us as evidence that the project could work.
“The Last of Us was fantastic,” Black said. “And what’s crazy is how loyal it is to the original source material. It’s basically all from the game with just a couple of tweaks… They used the video game almost like a storyboard and I was like, ‘Whoa, this looks just the same.’” Jack Black allowed his enthusiasm for The Last of Us to conjure dreams of Red Dead Redemption.
“And there are some great games that have yet to be explored in television or film,” he continued. “Maybe there’s going to be a Red Dead Redemption movie? There should be, because I think that [has] just as good or [an] even better story than The Last of Us.”
Jack Black is not the only to offer that level of praise to Red Dead Redemption. The video game franchise has been heralded as one having one of the greatest narratives in the medium’s history. Set in the twilight years of the American Wild West, the first game follows a former outlaw who, in order to protect his family from the threat of rule of law, hunts down members of his former gang.
There have been some terrible video game movies over the years, but as Jack Black said, adaptations like The Last of Us have given fans a lot of hope, and a Red Dead Redemption movie is ripe for the picking. It would join popular games like BioShock, Borderlands, Gears of War, and Fallout on the list of high-profile adaptations headed to the screen.
The Red Dead franchise is developed by Rockstar Games. The company’s impressive portfolio boasts the Grand Theft Auto series, L.A. Noire, the Max Payne series, and more. Following a maligned attempt at a Max Payne movie in 2008, Rockstar keeps a tight seal on its properties.
Even with the star power of Jack Black behind it, the Red Dead Redemption movie may be a tall order.
With hits like The Last of Us and Halo hitting streaming records and movies like Sonic the Hedgehog and Detective Pikachu finding success at the box office, now may be the opportune time for Rockstar to revisit its adaptation options. The studio has some of the most impressive video game titles on the market sitting in its back pocket, and Jack Black would certainly not be the only to show up for the Red Dead Redemption movie.
Studios have shown signs of improvement in how they tackle video game adaptations. Fans like Jack Black have long been wary of movie versions of their favorite games, but a string of successes in recent years is warming people up to the idea, making a Red Dead Redemption film more viable than ever. As major studios increase their reliance on franchises and interconnected universes, the lines between video games, movies, and TV shows will likely continue to blur.
The Last of Us has even shown that some viewers are trying the video game after watching the series. That tendency will likely fuel integration going forward. Many video game adaptations are on the way, but for now, Jack Black and the rest of the fanbase will have to hold their horses waiting for the Red Dead Redemption movie.
