Celebrated actors will appear in all sorts of films for many different reasons and video game adaptations are no different. More often than not, they also have some of the most alluring financial offers for actors.
During an interview on Late Night with Conan O'Brien in 1998, Oscar-nominated actor Dennis Hopper shared a story about his son asking him why he decided to appear in the Super Mario Bros film in 1993, notoriously one of the most derided video game adaptations in cinema history. Hopper answered his son, saying: “Well Henry, I did that so you could have shoes,” to which his son answered: “Dad, I don’t need shoes that badly.”
The anecdote highlights how many talented actors find it too attractive to pass up the opportunity of a big payday, regardless of the quality of the project. Video game films are usually well-funded and have huge potential due to being adaptations of popular titles.
As it goes, Hopper isn't the only actor to fall into the trap, as many have taken roles in video game films that ended up being critical flops.
Here are other celebrated actors who also followed suit.
Cate Blanchett
Two-time Oscar winner Cate Blanchett has appeared in celebrated films such as the Lord of the Rings series, Carol and The Aviator. Other than her two Academy Award wins, she has also been nominated six times.
With such an impressive resume, it’s hard to imagine she would fall into the trap of popping up in a poorly received video game adaptation. However, Blanchett is currently starring in Borderlands, which is based on a popular series of first-person shooter games.
Lately, video game films and television shows such as Last of Us, Fallout and Sonic the Hedgehog have shifted the narrative and there have been more good than bad adaptations recently. Plus Borderlands has the star quality to join the growing list of good ones.
Directed by Eli Roth, whose previous work includes Hostel and Cabin Fever, the film also stars Kevin Hart, Jack Black and Jamie Lee Curtis. Unfortunately, the first reactions to Borderlands are looking like it’s going to be another clanger.
Raul Julia
Puerto Rican actor Raul Julia might be best known for his role as Gomez Addams in The Addams Family films, but he was also an Emmy-winning actor who appeared in many critically acclaimed titles such as Kiss of the Spider Woman and Romero.
Julia also appeared in the big-screen adaptation of Street Fighter, one of the most popular fighter video games. The film also starred Jean-Claude Van Damme, Ming-Na Wen and Kylie Minogue. Unfortunately, it was not well received and is one of the many failed adaptations.
The reason behind the actor accepting the role of the villain M Bison is a noble and touching one though. He was battling terminal stomach cancer at the time and wanted to appear in a film that his children could enjoy. Street Fighter would be Julia’s last as he died shortly before it was released.
Bob Hoskins
Oscar-nominated British actor Bob Hoskins is perhaps most known for his starring role in Who Framed Roger Rabbit? but he also appeared in critical successes such as Mona Lisa and The Long Good Friday.
In 1993, Hoskins joined Hopper and John Leguizamo in Super Mario Bros, a live-action adaptation of the beloved Nintendo characters, as Mario. The film faced many challenges, among them clashes between the acclaimed cast and the two directors, Annabel Jankel and Rocky Morton.
Outside of small connections to the video games, the aesthetic and look of the film were more akin to Blade Runner and 1984. Hoskins famously hated the film and said that he didn’t even know it was based on a video game until his children told him.
In an interview with The Guardian in 2011, Hoskins said that it was the worst job he's done.
Sir Ben Kingsley
Sir Ben Kingsley, the British Oscar winner and three-time nominee, is known best for his role as Gandhi in the film of the same name.
Kingsley has also appeared in acclaimed titles such as Schindler’s List, Hugo and Shutter Island. But in a hiccup, he joined Jake Gyllenhaal in 2010’s Prince of Persia: Sands of Time, an adaptation of the Prince of Persia games, which is a long-running series that started as a side-scrolling adventure game.
In it, the actor plays Nizam, the villain of the film. Prince of Persia: Sands of Time cost $200 million to make and only recouped a little more than $300m. Reviews for the film didn’t help attract viewers during its theatre run either. “Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is a children's story beefed up to appeal to young teens. It's based on a video game, but don't make me play it," wrote critic Roger Ebert.
