For a game that’s six years old already,Red Dead Redemptionhas been making headlines fairly frequently in 2016. That’s largely due to the persistent rumor that Take-Two Interactive and Rockstar Games are gearing up to produce aRed Dead Redemptionsequel for 2017, although if that’s true, it would be the industry’s worst-kept secret at this point. It’s certainly clear gamers are eager to explore more ofRed Dead Redemption’s wild west setting, but there’s still nothing concrete that suggests they’ll be able to in the near future.
Perhaps that uncertainty is what fueled discussion over whether or not Take-Two was planning to take theRed Dead Redemptionfranchise in another direction. More recent rumors have speculated that aRed Dead Redemptionfilm might be in the works, or at the very least being discussed by those with the power to make it happen. CEO Strauss Zelnick recently discussed Take-Two’s approach to turning its IPs into films, and although it wasn’t a flat-out “no”, the quote was far from encouraging:
“For us to license motion pictures, we have been very selective because the economic opportunity is limited and the creative risk is meaningful…if a bad movie is made it may hurt our underlying intellectual property, and if a good movie is made the actual value of the license fees is enormous. So we have to be very, very selective.”
While it’s encouraging to hear Zelnick re-state what he had previously indicated aboutmilkingRed Dead RedemptionorGrand Theft Autotoo heavily, the statement is likely a bittersweet one for fans who were hoping for either aRed Dead RedemptionorGrand Theft Autofilm in the next few years. It’s hard to argue with Zelnick when very few video game movies have succeeded in the past and simply makingRed Dead Redemptionbackward compatiblewas enough to jump its sales 6,000% worldwide.
If the risks behind licensing a video game movie have historically been much greater than the reward, however, that philosophy could soon change. The recent success of theWarcraftmovie proved that finding a big enough niche was possible, and Ubisoft’sAssassin’s Creedmovie will hope to turnWarcraft’s surprise strength at the box office into a trend. ThatUbisoft didn’t make anAssassin’s Creedgame this year to make the movie better, however, speaks to Zelnick’s concerns over sacrificing potential revenue while chasing the dream of aRed Dead RedemptionorGrand Theft Automovie.
Unfortunately forRed Dead Redemptionfans, it looks like would-be gunslingers will need to rest their hopes back on a video game sequel rather than a film adaptation if they want something out of the franchise in the near future. What do you think about Take-Two’s stance on video game movies? Do you thinkRed Dead Redemptionwould make a better film than most other options in the industry? Let us know in the comments below.
