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Rumor: Bethesda's Fallout 3 Headed to the Big Screen?

April 20, 2009
Source: Joystiq
by Alex Billington

Fallout 3

I'm sure that in about 50 years, every video game ever made will be made into a movie. Obviously it has to do with the idea of having a pre-established fanbase surrounding the property, however, some of the stories in video games just aren't fit for the big screen. Fallout does not necessarily fall into the category. Considering the success of the latest game in the series, Fallout 3, I would've imagined that it would already been picked up and in development, but as far as I know, this is the first time I've heard anything about it. Joystiq is reporting that publisher Bethesda Softworks has filed a trademark for theatrical rights.

Joystiq's report is very speculative and the fact that Bethesda is filing for a trademark is only an extremely early indication that it may one day be possible that we'll see a Fallout 3 movie. For those unfamiliar with the game, Fallout 3 is set in the year 2277, 200 years after the nuclear war that devastated the world in an alternate post-WWII timeline. The game puts the player in the role of an inhabitant of Vault 101, a survival shelter designed to protect humans from the nuclear fallout. When the player's father disappears under mysterious circumstances, the player is forced to escape and journey into the ruins of Washington DC.

There's nothing wrong with that story, and I'd probably go see it if they made a movie, but I've got a feeling that Fallout 3 is one of those games that just won't make for a good movie (think Resident Evil). As in, it's great to play on the Xbox 360, but it's not great to see adapted, or at least in the way I'm sure Hollywood will adapt it. It's sad that this is the difference between two of the most popular entertainment mediums, but alas, that's just the reality for video game movies until something breaks that mold (and right now I'm hoping that's either Prince of Persia or BioShock or both). Only time will tell what happens to this game.

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Reader Feedback - 33 Comments »

1

Why the hell has halo not been made into a god damn movie yet?!

midnightlight on Apr 20, 2009

2

Because the story is poor.

Rabican on Apr 20, 2009

3

Just don't let Uwe Boll direct it.

Brandon on Apr 20, 2009

4

if fallout 3 was adapted to some sort of horror/adventure then it might work… but the pictures from price of presia don't look too good but Bioshock i think has serious potential to become the first solid video game/movie adaptation

i think that the game that would work like a great movie (most likely trilogy) would be an adaptation of the soul reaver 1/2, defiance from the legacy of kain series

Janny on Apr 20, 2009

5

yeah!….when da hell is Halo coming out??…

Ronald Cabuhat on Apr 20, 2009

6

Yeah, when da hell is Halo coming out.

Lol.

danielvutran on Apr 20, 2009

7

Well the story isnt poor at all, its just it was an RPG there were alot of different endings to the game and paths. The story was different every time but it could be cool as long as it gets a director loyal to gaming.

Cody on Apr 20, 2009

8

There are a lot of fucking cool plot elements in Fallout 3, and the whole franchise. All the cool shit happens in the little side quests, though; when you're going into the old abandoned vaults and finding the experiments tha VaultTech did. The main plot is pretty standard.

DCompose on Apr 20, 2009

9

^Yeah…Fallout is such a HUGE story but if you keep it simple playing through to just win it is simple. The side story on the game is what people love so yeah, a film adaptation would not even touch the game and suck poorly.

Hey Ya on Apr 21, 2009

10

no, this could work. fallout 3 is one of the most cinematic video games out there, complete with demented black humor, over the top gore and totally bitchin post apocalyptic setting… i think the powers that be should woo paul verhoeven back from the netherlands to helm this beast.

otic on Apr 21, 2009

11

Bioshock
Halo
Max Payne
Dead Space

Now this.

I see dead people. LOL.

Jonny Diamond on Apr 21, 2009

12

Prince Of Persia and Bioshock are humanity's last hope of games anticipated into good movies. O_o

Fisherr on Apr 21, 2009

13

Would like to see how Fallout 3 is made into a movie
Post Apocalyptic events: I Like.

Fisherr on Apr 21, 2009

14

metal gear solid???

geneguru on Apr 21, 2009

15

Alex, yes the story is simplistic in of itself, but the side quests add depth and more meaning to the story of what's happening in the world. Also, the environment and way of life that Fallout 3 presents as a post-apocalyptic world is very detailed and engrossing. If the film mirrors the game, Fallout would certainly give us the best post-apocalyptic world ever seen in cinematic history…better than Mad Max or Escape From NY.

Matt Suhu on Apr 21, 2009

16

i think i could direct this movie awesomely although im only 17 i like to keep to the material as close as possible

tyler caravoulias on Apr 21, 2009

17

Resident Evil?? there's no connection to Fallout man… but I also think, It's great to play an xbox but as a Movie…na…they fucked Street Fighter, Max Payne and Mortal Combat so..please no more games into MOVIES!!

GM on Apr 21, 2009

18

@17

Mortal Kombat 1 is actually a good video game movie part two is rubbish

movieboy on Apr 21, 2009

19

there has yet to be a good movie from a video game. doesn't exist. it's just about money with those people.

LeftHanded on Apr 21, 2009

20

well if they do make the movie theyll probably make their main character a good guy, i went the bad guy route, made for a much more interesting game

harrison on Apr 21, 2009

21

awesome as hell game, great visuals. be interesting to see a movie version, but I somehow doubt it will hold, as there are so many plot problems in the game that just wouldn't hold for a movie.

dave13 on Apr 21, 2009

22

I don't think this can work. The game itself is both cinematic and has RPG elements to it. It will be extremely dificult to make a cohesive, interesting story off of something so hard to adapt.

Ajax on Apr 21, 2009

23

video games to movies bad…

excuse me?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avXsM2n2oqg&feature=related


hahaah that never gets old…. no but on a serious note Silent Hill was fucking amazing and the first Mortal Kombat was OK.

DoomCanoe on Apr 21, 2009

24

Fallout 3 had the crappest. ending. ever.

Mister_Bubbles on Apr 21, 2009

25

Best movie from a video game, Final Fantasy of course and I don't mean that American crap that had nothing to do with Final Fantasy. Although it was a very good movie, if they called it something else might not be disliked so much. Advent Children was the hotness but then again I don't think it counts because it was made in Japan! lol

Hey Ya on Apr 21, 2009

26

They need to make a Modern Warfare movie. It would be like The 24

Jason H on Apr 21, 2009

27

I don't know, I've played Fallout 3 and I have more hope for a successful Halo movie than for this videogame. Besides the fact that the game is essentially an RPG, where YOU (the player) inhabits the main character and makes good or evil decisions for him. So that would be kind of weird if suddenly the main character in a fallout movie has these different motivations and personality that your yourself. Secondly, I'd even say it's TOO DEPRESSING to make a good action/adventure flick, which it would undoubtedly turn into. A few of the things in Fallout 3 strongly emphasize how bleak and hopeless things are.

To mention one particularly awesome thing the designers included was a power station you can go to in Fallout 3, where you turn on, and hear a transmission from a father asking for medicine and help as his child is sick. If you follow the source of the transmission, you come upon the place they lived, only to find 2 skeletons, and a few random items laying around. From the looks of it, they must've died a long time ago. This is just one of the depressing elements. If they could make this movie into a thoughtful commentary on the horror of nuclear warfare…well maybe. But there's no real good precedent for videogame movies, and sadly I don't think a Fallout movie would start a good precedent.

jman571 on Apr 21, 2009

28

Fallout 3 and MGS were "theatrical experiences" themselves. It's like reading the Davinci Code or Angels and Demons, and expecting the movie to be as good as the books.

Also, #24, theres new downloadable content coming out in May called "Broken Steel", which is a continuation of the main story line.

I wonder if Liam Neeson would agree to play in the movie as "Dad" after the tragic passing of his wife…

Cody on Apr 22, 2009

29

I think that while it might be interesting to see what Hollywood might do with Fallout, the game itself is probably too complex to actually fit into an hour and a half time slot, especially considering how you can have a good, evil, neutral, whatever character. There's too much content in the games to translate into a movie that would'nt be either confusing as hell (see Pirates of the Carribean 3) or just plain boring.

Hannah on Jul 18, 2009

30

it would be awesome for a movie to come out it would be alittle like ' i am legend' sad and heart warming it would be a pretty good movie, depends on what quests you use not lame ones like the good ones

keegan barrie on Aug 16, 2009

31

I don't see Fallout 3 being able to be a direct transpostion to the big screen. But the universe of Fallout could make a very good movie setting, following the exploits of Vault Dweller X from Vault number Y.

I could see Fallout working better as a TV series, excepting for budget concerns

Tempral on Aug 31, 2009

32

Or even better yet, Follow the exploits of Darring Dashwood and his loyal ghoul servent Argyle.

Tempral on Aug 31, 2009

33

why dont you watch some videos

Michael Jackson on Oct 23, 2009

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