Why God Of War Games Make A Movie Unlikely | Screen Rant
God of War, one of the most iconic and recognizable video game franchises of all time, has yet to receive a film adaptation as of early 2022. This may be surprising to many fans of these games, as the dramatic and tragic tale of Kratos seems perfect for the big screen. Even though this IP may be primed for a movie adaptation in the eyes of many gamers, Sony debunked God of War film rumors, disappointing movie stars last year, despite the development of other adaptations like the Uncharted blockbuster and The Last of Us TV show.
With Sony clearly willing to adapt its other hit franchises, the apparent reluctance to put one of its most beloved franchises on the silver screen might seem somewhat odd. After all, the narrative of God of War is one of the most memorable in gaming, spanning a number of different locations and including epic characters from Greek and Norse mythology. These factors, coupled with the series' over-the-top action and arresting aesthetic, serve as a great foundation for a dramatic movie or movie series.
There have been recent reports about Amazon eyeing a God of War live action series, but news of a film adaptation has been quiet. Still, there has been a number of attempts to recreate this legendary video game story in a movie format, but each attempt has had trouble getting off the ground. As such, there are several reasons why a God of War movie has yet to be produced.
Numerous filmmakers and writers have been reported to be working on a God of War movie at one point or another. Most recently, Universal was taking a swing at adapting Kratos's story, bringing on Pacific Rim director Steven S. DeKnight. DeKnight was set to direct the adaptation, working off a preliminary script by Road to Perdition screenwriter David Self. News of the Pacific Rim director's involvement broke in 2012, but he continued to comment on its development for years after, with DeKnight discussing an R-rated God of War movie as recently as 2018.
It seems that DeKnight and his team were the most involved in a potential God of War movie adaptation, as the involvement of previous tapped directors such as Brett Ratner appear to have been short-lived. In any case, Sony confirmed in 2021 that there was no God of War film in development, dashing the hopes of many fans. It seems clear that there is a version of a God of War movie script out there, but development of the film may not have progressed beyond that point.
Despite big budgets and plenty of talent, one of the key problems may have been in actively transitioning the interactive story of the games to treating the God of War mythos like a novel, taking aspects of the story and tweaking them to work in cinematic, emotional ways. This means that the canceled God of War film most likely would have focused on Kratos's traumatic past, guilt, and grief, in addition to the franchise's signature action-packed set pieces - a difficult balance to keep, but one already central to the story of the games.
Certainly there are plenty of issues that face any film adaptation of a video game, from the game's interactive elements being a driving force behind the art, to finding the right actors to play characters like Kratos that are already played by talented actors that have brought life to characters that have come to be seen as iconic. The revolving door of important players with DeKnight's film suggests that those behind the movie may have had trouble nailing down God of War's iconic protagonist Kratos (already so perfectly played by Christopher Judge), the vast and complex inner workings of the Greek pantheon, or any number of other elements from the franchise's narrative.
This could make sense, especially when considering how sprawling the God of War story is, beginning with Kratos unaware of his godhood, eventually leading to him slaughtering all of the Greek gods and fleeing North, finding himself surrounded by an entirely different mythological rogues gallery. This type of over-the-top, diverse approach to setting and unfolding a story may work well in the format of a video game, but it is a different story in film, which has many more restrictions when it comes to structure and tone. Movies can also require a bit more legwork when it comes to establishing characters, so inclusions like God of War's Valkyrie bosses would need to be further fleshed out to make for an engaging experience.
From a more technical standpoint, budget could also be a concern. While large film budgets of $150 million or more are nothing to scoff at, the God of War franchise depicts a number of different mythological figures, locations, and events in quite a fantastical manner, which could wind up becoming extremely expensive in a movie. A hypothetical film adaptation could conceivably take a more restrained approach to depicting some of these inclusions, but that runs the risk of upsetting or disappointing fans, having sub-par special effects that break immersion, or even potentially making an underwhelming film that isn't truly satisfying to anyone.
A God of War movie might be possible, but it would likely require a lot of money, time, and talent. With the prospect of the Amazon show on the horizon, not to mention the release of God of War Ragnarok in 2022, there is clearly already a great deal of these three resources being spent on the God of War franchise. With that said, it might be better for fans of the series to let their hopes for a film adaptation rest for a bit, as they will be getting heaps of new story content this year, and the epic, ongoing story of God of War would arguably be better suited for the slower pace of a TV show anyway. Time will tell what exactly a potential God of War extended universe looks like beyond gaming, but there will be plenty of thrilling, in-game content for fans to sink their teeth into in the meantime.