Archive · 29 Sep 2026
From Street Fighter to Minecraft: Games That Reached Cinema
Video games often become movies because their characters and worlds are already popular.
Street Fighter is getting a new movie directed by Kitao Sakurai.
Vidyut Jammwal plays the fighter Dhalsim in his Hollywood debut.
Resident Evil turned its zombie-filled game world into a series of horror movies.
Mario has appeared in both live-action and animated films.
Lara Croft, Sonic, the Angry Birds and Pokémon have also appeared on screen.
Minecraft is being adapted into a movie world based on creativity and exploration.
Some game movies follow the games closely, while others create new stories.
These films show how gaming characters can entertain people beyond the controller.
Kitao Sakurai’s Street Fighter arrives in cinemas on 16 October, featuring Vidyut Jammwal as Dhalsim.
Resident Evil has become a long-running film series while retaining the games’ horror, survival and action elements.
Super Mario Bros. achieved its biggest cinematic success through animation, with both recent films exceeding $1 billion.
Tomb Raider, Sonic the Hedgehog, Angry Birds and Pokémon have also moved from games into film.
Sonic the Hedgehog is scheduled to return on 19 March 2027, while Angry Birds Movie 3 arrives on 1 January 2027.
- Who
- Kitao Sakurai directs Street Fighter, with Vidyut Jammwal playing Dhalsim; several major video-game franchises are also featured.
- What
- Video-game franchises, including Street Fighter, Resident Evil, Super Mario Bros., Tomb Raider, Sonic the Hedgehog, Angry Birds, Pokémon, Prince of Persia and Minecraft, have been adapted for cinema.
- When
- Street Fighter arrives on 16 October; Sonic the Hedgehog is scheduled for 19 March 2027, and The Angry Birds Movie 3 for 1 January 2027.
- Where
- In cinemas and on the big screen.
- Why
- The adaptations bring popular gaming characters, stories and worlds to film audiences.
- Street Fighter director
- Kitao Sakurai
- Dhalsim actor
- Vidyut Jammwal
- Street Fighter release
- 16 October
- Sonic the Hedgehog return
- 19 March 2027
- Angry Birds Movie 3 release
- 1 January 2027
- Mario film success
- Both recent animated films crossed the billion-dollar mark
- Angry Birds origins
- The game began in 2009 as a slingshot game involving birds and egg-stealing pigs