WEBVTT 00:01.866 --> 00:04.600 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% WILLIAM BRANGHAM: Video games are a huge booming business raking in nearly $100 00:04.600 --> 00:09.400 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% billion a year in the U.S. alone. But turning those video games into 00:09.400 --> 00:13.733 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% successful movies and TV shows, that has been a bit of a bust until now. 00:13.733 --> 00:18.733 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% HBO series, The Last of Us based on a video game of the same name was a runaway hit this year with 00:20.733 --> 00:25.400 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% both audiences and critics. And the New Super Mario Brothers movie based on the long running 00:27.400 --> 00:31.200 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Nintendo franchise is set to gross $368 million in its first five days. So what has changed? 00:34.266 --> 00:38.733 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% Jeff Keeley is a longtime gaming reporter and creator and host of 00:38.733 --> 00:43.333 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% the wildly popular the Game Awards. Geoff Keighley, thanks so much for being here. 00:43.333 --> 00:47.366 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% How do you explain this transition? Because I think it's safe to admit 00:47.366 --> 00:52.333 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% that most adaptations of video games into the visual arts has not been all 00:54.400 --> 00:57.666 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% that smooth or successful so far. Why do you think that this is changing now? 00:57.666 --> 01:01.800 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% GEOFF KEIGHLEY, CEO, The Game Awards: Yes, you're absolutely right. People refer to it as sort of 01:01.800 --> 01:06.700 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% the curse that existed with, you know, many, many video game franchises over the years just 01:06.700 --> 01:10.133 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% haven't been successful movies. I mean, there was Prince of Persia with Jake Gyllenhaal, 01:10.133 --> 01:13.200 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% there was Assassin's Creed with Michael Fassbender. Even way back in the day, 01:13.200 --> 01:18.200 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% there was a Super Mario Brothers movie starring the late Bob Hoskins and none of them worked, 01:19.633 --> 01:21.833 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% in part because I think they weren't authentic to the game. 01:21.833 --> 01:26.100 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% What we're seeing now is that the game creators are getting involved with Hollywood, they're 01:26.100 --> 01:30.466 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% helping writing and directing and creating these worlds, which I think creates an authenticity 01:31.866 --> 01:33.833 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% for the game fans, but also creates a very rich, 01:33.833 --> 01:36.900 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% detailed world for folks that may not even have played the games. 01:36.900 --> 01:41.900 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% WILLIAM BRANGHAM: Do you think it is also because Hollywood producers are always desperate for good 01:43.733 --> 01:48.433 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% compelling stories and a successful video game franchise in some ways proves that 01:51.033 --> 01:53.933 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% point that this draws people in this storyline is compelling, and thus it might make the transition. 01:55.433 --> 01:58.633 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% GEOFF KEIGHLEY: Right, I think that was the old view is that, 01:58.633 --> 02:03.233 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% hey, this game was incredibly popular. So it has a built in fan base of you know, 02:03.233 --> 02:06.766 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% X million people have played the game. For a long time, it was sort of like it was a 02:06.766 --> 02:10.500 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% licensed slap that Hollywood producers were doing because they saw the successful games. 02:10.500 --> 02:13.133 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% And then ultimately, they didn't really work out because they weren't great movies. 02:13.133 --> 02:18.100 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% I mean, there was one I think, the game Doom, Dwayne Johnson starred in and it was really 02:18.100 --> 02:21.533 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% just an action movie with Dwayne Johnson, that happened to be called him because they 02:21.533 --> 02:25.066 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% thought that would bring more people into theaters. And I think now we are really in 02:25.066 --> 02:30.066 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% this renaissance of video game adaptations. I think in the next three or four years, 02:31.700 --> 02:34.266 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% I think video games are going to be as popular as superhero franchises. 02:34.266 --> 02:38.433 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% WILLIAM BRANGHAM: Really? That's wow, that's an incredible prediction. I mean, The Last of Us, 02:38.433 --> 02:43.433 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% in particular, seemingly achieved a ton of success with an audience like myself, who had no idea it 02:45.966 --> 02:50.600 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% was even connected to a game. And, again, I think that speaks to, I wonder if you think the same, 02:53.200 --> 02:56.033 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% that this speaks to just very strong characters, a very compelling story, and thus, it's a natural. 02:58.033 --> 03:02.233 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% GEOFF KEIGHLEY: Yes, I mean, The Last of Us was really special. It's an incredibly detailed, 03:04.300 --> 03:08.100 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% rich story that came out over a decade ago as a video game won a ton of awards then, and I credit 03:10.666 --> 03:13.200 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% Craig Mazin, the creator of the last of a series alongside Neil Druckmann, the creator of the game, 03:15.233 --> 03:18.700 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% they teamed up together, Craig did Chernobyl at HBO. And HBO was kind of looking for the 03:18.700 --> 03:23.500 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% next show from him. He was a big fan of the last episode -- Last of Us and said, I want to figure 03:23.500 --> 03:27.700 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% out how to adapt this in authentic way to HBO, and actually partnering with the game creator. 03:27.700 --> 03:32.700 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% But there are scenes in that show that are direct dialogue lifts from the video games. 03:34.166 --> 03:36.200 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% So their moments. And you know, if you haven't played the game, 03:36.200 --> 03:39.533 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% you might not know that but it's like the moment with the draft or other things like 03:39.533 --> 03:44.100 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% that. Those are like iconic seminal moments in the video game they really captured in the show, 03:44.100 --> 03:47.633 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% but they also built it to your point in a way that appeals to many people that 03:47.633 --> 03:50.566 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% have never played the video game, because it's a great story at the end of the day. 03:50.566 --> 03:53.900 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% WILLIAM BRANGHAM: I mean, on the flip side of that, then how do you explain 03:53.900 --> 03:57.933 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% the success of Super Mario Brothers because that unlike The Last of Us, 03:57.933 --> 04:02.900 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% doesn't necessarily have such obvious human characters. Doesn't have an obvious built 04:04.900 --> 04:08.900 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% in plotline. There's no offense to this to the brothers. But how do you explain that success? 04:11.433 --> 04:15.033 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% GEOFF KEIGHLEY: I think that's, you know, very different. Nintendo really for the first time ever 04:15.033 --> 04:20.033 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% partnered with Illumination, Chris Meledandri, who had done even done a Despicable Me the minion 04:20.033 --> 04:25.033 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% movies. And Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of Mario actually worked with them to build up this world. 04:27.066 --> 04:29.133 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% So what I think is so great about that movie, is that it's it looks so beautiful, 04:29.133 --> 04:32.733 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% and it's so rich. And you know, for anyone that's played a Super Mario Brothers game, 04:32.733 --> 04:37.066 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% at some point in their life, you probably have everyone has just the fact that this 04:37.066 --> 04:41.933 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% is on the big screen as a movie and animated movie. I think it's just incredibly novel. 04:41.933 --> 04:46.533 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% It's just -- it's a fun movie. It's got, you know, a great voice cast, and it just looks beautiful. 04:46.533 --> 04:50.800 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% So I think that's the thing is, it really looks like the video games, which is incredibly special. 04:50.800 --> 04:55.800 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% WILLIAM BRANGHAM: We're talking here about video games moving into movies and television shows. 04:58.066 --> 05:02.333 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Do you think that the reverse can happen as well that people might watch The Last 05:02.333 --> 05:07.333 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% of Us and then be like, wow, this this -- the origin story for this exists on a video game, 05:08.766 --> 05:10.833 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% I might want to go there. Any sign that that is happening to? 05:10.833 --> 05:15.633 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% GEOFF KEIGHLEY: Yes, there have been, you know, huge success stories in that regard over the 05:15.633 --> 05:20.266 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% past few years. The first game that really did that was a game called The Witcher which 05:20.266 --> 05:24.466 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% was a Netflix series. And that holiday season, when the first season of The Witcher came out, 05:24.466 --> 05:28.966 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% the video game sold millions of copies and the game had been out for four or five years. 05:28.966 --> 05:33.600 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% And this year with The Last of Us that's been at the top of the sales charts on Amazon for a 05:33.600 --> 05:37.133 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% game that, you know, was came out 10 years ago because people are rediscovering it. So that's 05:37.133 --> 05:40.200 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% part of the benefit to the game companies is that when these adaptations are done 05:40.200 --> 05:43.800 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% well it actually drives more awareness and sales of the you know, the original game. 05:43.800 --> 05:48.400 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% WILLIAM BRANGHAM: And lastly, is there any particular game that you're wondering why 05:48.400 --> 05:50.800 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% Hollywood hasn't grabbed it yet that you want to see on the big screen? 05:50.800 --> 05:54.233 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% GEOFF KEIGHLEY: Yes, there are a bunch though. What I'm really excited about is 05:54.233 --> 05:58.366 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% a game called Bioshock. And that's just another like The Last of Us has a really 05:58.366 --> 06:00.933 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% amazing intellectual story with incredible characters. 06:00.933 --> 06:05.933 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% So yes, pretty much everything that is, is a good video game story is up for adaptation now. 06:07.966 --> 06:10.600 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% I think in many ways, you know, like anything, there's probably going to be too many of these 06:10.600 --> 06:13.300 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% things made and not all of them are going to work but I definitely think the curse 06:13.300 --> 06:16.900 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% is broken. And the fact that, you know, this year, the biggest movie of the year and the 06:16.900 --> 06:20.933 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% biggest stories of the year so far are both based on video games is pretty incredible. 06:20.933 --> 06:24.266 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% WILLIAM BRANGHAM: All right, Geoff Keighley so good to see you. Thanks so much for being here. 06:24.266 --> 06:25.666 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% GEOFF KEIGHLEY: Thanks for inviting me on.