So Crossfire is coming to the big screen and without needing to say it, a lot of people are psyched since this happens to be one of THE most popular games in the world considering its fan base and the millions that enjoy it on a regular basis. To others that might feel a bit daunting but to those that are in control of the property it’s a massive opportunity to push forth their product and an idea to expand even further since Crossfire as an e-sport has already managed to land the interest of roughly a billion users as B. Alan Orange of MovieWeb explains it. While a lot of folks might take a look at the game and think of it as just another first-person shooter there are plenty of people that would gladly defend Crossfire, and successfully so obviously, as one of the more dynamic and all-around entertaining games that is currently on the market and is steadily climbing the ranks to assume its dominance over many other titles. How long it will stay there is hard to say, but being given a movie deal and having a theme park experience is usually enough to insure that an idea is going to stick around for a while.
One major drawback any video game movie will usually tend to have is whether or not it stays true to the source material and if it can keep the attention of the audience since likely as not that audience will be comprised of many individuals that have played the game and invested a great deal of their interest in it. A good example of the backlash that can come happened during projects such as the Super Mario Bros., Assassin’s Creed, and even Mortal Kombat movies. One could easily argue that Crossfire is different in a way that transcends any problems that such movies ran into, but it would need to be pointed out that Doom attempted this as well and flopped pretty hard despite having Dwayne Johnson as part of the main cast. It’s easy to think that Crossfire won’t suffer this problem so long as they recruit cast members that are skilled enough at what they do and will enhance the movie instead of trying to dominate it through their role, but there is still mild concern to be felt there. Right now however the hype is simply too great to think about anything other than the possibilities of forward movement and the continued success to come.
The executive VP of Marketing/Business Development of Smilegate had this to say as per B. Alan Orange:
“I am very excited to prove the wonder of Crossfire IP to the world through a Hollywood major motion picture with a great partner Sony Pictures. Creating and spreading a household IP has always been Smilegate’s direction and goal. We have discussed and prepared the movie for a long time. Through Crossfire movie, we will make Crossfire a leader in making a good precedent in diversifying the game industry. Furthermore, we expect this opportunity for Smilegate to become a leading IP company in the global market.”
It’s easy to get excited about a major motion picture being made of a video game since there’s a good reason why said games create so much buzz. But it can’t be stressed enough just how the big screen has managed to mangle a good number of video game adaptations in the past. Resident Evil, Tomb Raider, and even Silent Hill have had a good amount of success in the past, but the hit and miss ratio is still somewhat iffy, enough so that trying this is bound to be a risk that will hopefully pay off. Much like any other pop culture phenomenon there are bound to be fans and naysayers that will look to pick part and sift through every little aspect in the movie to make sure that it’s held true to the game and won’t deviate too much for their liking. If, however, it does defy expectations and can truly unite the fan base in an impressive manner, as is rarely seen with video game movies, then it will have earned the distinction that it’s already been given from its many users. Crossfire has already climbed the ranks in a big way so thinking that it’s woefully out of its league isn’t even close to the truth since taking that next big leap to further fame and renown is the only logical step really. The only hope is that it will bridge the gap between the console/PC and find a home on the big screen where it can flourish and continue to wow the audience in a way that will last for a while to come.
It’s possible to make an impressive movie out of a video game, but it’s obvious that the formula hasn’t been perfected yet. Rachel Weber of Gamesradar has more on this that you might want to check out.
