Insomniac Games Teases Potential Return To The Movies Under Its New Leadership

Transformation is underway at Insomniac Games, the studio behind Marvel’s Spider-Man. With fresh leadership now at the helm, the team is eager to explore the possibility of adapting some of their own video game franchises for the big screen once more.

In a conversation with Variety, Ryan Schneider, the new co-head of studios at Insomniac, reflected on the studio’s initial steps into Hollywood, specifically the 2016 release of Ratchet and Clank. He emphasized that Insomniac had a head start in the field of transforming video games into movies back then.

Schneider recalled the Ratchet and Clank movie from a while back, mentioning that they had a head start with it. Naturally, they are intrigued by projects like this. In fact, they have a soft spot for Ratchet and Clank in particular.

Initially, Ratchet and Clank didn’t prove to be a blockbuster movie, as it generated just $13.3 million worldwide during its limited run, coupled with mixed reviews from critics. Mike Mahardy, from TopMob, put it in his review, “Ratchet & Clank races us through the cosmos at an exhilarating speed, but it fails to deliver a satisfying destination. Although the franchise has thrived in video games, its cinematic debut can only be described as a misstep.

Compared to this, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, derived from Nintendo’s IP, turned out to be both a critical and financial success, and a follow-up is already being worked on. On the other hand, Sony has been gradually expanding into multimedia ventures over the 2020s. Specifically, they launched live-action versions of Uncharted and Gran Turismo in 2022 and 2023 respectively.

The TV adaptation of “The Last of Us” has been a massive success, with its second season set to premiere in April. Further Sony game adaptations are planned, including live-action versions for “Helldivers” and “Horizon Zero Dawn”. In the realm of anime, “Ghost of Tsushima” is under development as an animated series, produced by Aniplex, the studio behind “Demon Slayer”.

Schneider, along with Chad Dezern and Jen Huang, are set to assume the roles of co-studio heads, replacing Ted Price. These three will be working in unison at the studio. Additionally, the studio hinted at their upcoming Wolverine game, promising a formal announcement when it’s appropriate to do so.

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2025-01-22 20:39