Red Dead Redemption: Is a Blockbuster Movie on the Horizon?

Highlights

Take-Two's CEO doesn't see a Red Dead Redemption movie happening soon, citing the risk and limited economic opportunity of film projects.

Take-Two will adopt a discerning approach towards licensing game-based movies and will not rely on others' execution for future plans. The company has previously encountered difficulties in the movie sector, evident in the less-than-enthusiastic response to the Max Payne movie, and the release of the Borderlands movie is still a year away.

During Take-Two's latest earnings call, the CEO provided an update on the potential Red Dead Redemption movie. With the recent success of video game adaptations like The Super Mario Bros. Movie and The Last of Us TV series, there has been a growing interest in adapting Red Dead Redemption. However, the CEO clarified that the situation is not as straightforward as it seems.

There is an expectation that Take-Two could be the next big hit in the realm of video game adaptations, given their catalog of acclaimed titles like Borderlands, Grand Theft Auto, and Red Dead Redemption. However, during the quarterly investors call, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick expressed a different view. He stated that all film and TV projects come with significant risk and that the economic opportunity they offer is relatively small. Zelnick pointed out that while The Super Mario Bros. Movie and The Last of Us found success, there have been numerous failures resulting in financial losses.

Take-Two already has a couple of movie projects in the works, including Borderlands and BioShock. While Zelnick mentioned the possibility of more such ventures in the future, he emphasized the company's cautious approach to licensing. He made it clear that Take-Two will not base its future or the potential of its intellectual property on the success of other areas within the entertainment industry. Although no specific titles are mentioned, it strongly suggests that fans should not expect a Red Dead Redemption movie anytime soon, and the feasibility of such a project would partly rely on the performance of the existing movie endeavors.

The movie sector has posed challenges for Take-Two in the past. The release of the Max Payne movie in 2008 received a lukewarm response from the audience, making $40.7 million domestically against a $35 million production budget. The company now faces similar difficulties with the Borderlands movie, which has been in development for the past two years and is still a year away from release, despite claims of progress.

Interestingly, the company's concerns extend beyond the movie space. During the earnings call, CEO Zelnick defended the pricing of the Red Dead Redemption Switch port, which was recently announced at $50. He mentioned that the game will include the Undead Nightmare expansion, previously released separately as DLC. It remains to be seen how well this justification will impact sales when the game is released. Regardless, it will be intriguing to observe how Take-Two navigates the future of the Red Dead Redemption franchise.

Source: Take-Two Interactive