This article will tell you about eight movie directors who have worked in the production of video games.
Directors in Hollywood are among the most imaginative creatives in the entertainment industry. The amount of planning that goes into making a film is enormous, and the technical skills required to comprehend how to make a film in the first place are difficult to master. Hollywood’s greatest filmmakers are truly gifted individuals.
Many directors, however, do not limit themselves to film. There are many people who want to pursue directing in many entertainment forms, including video games. Many of the same ideas of cinema apply rather well to gaming, and Hollywood directors are increasingly offering their services to game developers.
James Wan – Dead Space
James Wan is a modern horror master, having created numerous popular and well-known horror films in recent years, including The Conjuring and Insidious. Wan made his feature debut with Saw, a gruesome body horror picture that spawned numerous sequels and even a handful of video games.
In 2008, Wan directed the Dead Space trailer “Loved Ones.” The teaser debuted at E3 2008 and featured Wan’s distinct cinematography, which built tension throughout the trailer by presenting spectators with the gruesome visuals of the USG Ishimura.
According to an Electronic Arts news release, Wan decided he wanted to be engaged in the production of Dead Space the moment he experienced the gameplay. Given that Dead Space involves necromorphs, one of the deadliest and most lethal zombies in video games, Wan’s involvement makes perfect sense.
Guillermo Del Toro – Death Stranding
Guillermo Del Toro is a creative visionary in the cinema industry. Del Toro’s films include the artistically stunning Pan’s Labyrinth, Hellboy, and The Shape of Water. It’s no wonder, then, that Del Toro has dabbled in the visual spectacles of the video game industry.
Guillermo Del Toro appeared as a character in a Death Stranding teaser at the 2016 Game Awards. This gave some fans optimism that Del Toro might be involved in the development process of Death Stranding, however, Del Toro later clarified that he was only doing acting for the game.
Steven Spielberg – Medal Of Honor
Steven Spielberg is a director who does not require an introduction. Spielberg’s oeuvre includes masterpieces such as Jaws, Indiana Jones, and Saving Private Ryan. As a media visionary, Spielberg saw the storytelling potential of video games and launched Dreamworks Interactive, a new video game creation business, in 1995.
After Saving Private Ryan went off the rails, Spielberg set out to build his own World War II computer game, Medal of Honor.
The development of the Medal of Honor was not without controversy, with observers criticizing the game’s name and substance. Speilberg and DreamWorks Interactive persisted, and the film was released in 1999.
Michael Bay – Need For Speed: The Run
Michael Bay films are nonstop bombastic thrill rides. Quick cuts, punches, and explosions take precedence over storylines, which are more of an afterthought. While Michael Bay’s films are unlikely to win any Oscars anytime soon, they can be extremely enjoyable.
Michael Bay directed a promo for Need For Speed: The Run in 2011, which featured all of his typical cuts and explosions. Electronic Arts approached Bay to create the trailer, and he can be seen in a behind-the-scenes film working on it with the game’s developers.
Eli Roth – Dark Souls 3
Dark Souls has become one of the most acclaimed video game series in history. The game series inspired an entire genre known as “soulslike,” and its developer, FromSoftware, has established itself as the industry’s best game firm.
Eli Roth, a filmmaker, was charged with directing an animated short for the release of Dark Souls 3 in 2016. Roth’s short film makes fantastic use of one of the best video game fantasy settings of all time: the Dark Souls series.
The short, titled “The Witches,” portrayed a Dark Souls universe knight who meets a tragic fate following an encounter with witches.
Joseph Kosinski – Halo 3
In Hollywood, Joseph Kosinski has created a reputation for himself by directing some of the most memorable action films in recent memory.
Top Gun: Maverick, which he recently directed, grossed over a billion dollars at the box office. Kosinski also helmed Tron: Legacy, a fan favorite for its slick visuals, excellent action sequences, and Daft Punk’s fantastic score.
Kosinski also directed a famous commercial for one of the most successful video games of all time, Halo 3. The commercial, dubbed “Starry Knight,” begins with two children contemplating their position in the world before cutting to Master Chief donning his helmet and charging into battle. Kosinski has directed trailers for other games in addition to Halo 3.
James Gunn – Lollipop Chainsaw
These days, James Gunn is most known for directing the Guardians of the Galaxy films. Before making critically acclaimed comic book films, Gunn worked as a writer on a variety of properties and projects, including Scooby-Doo and Dawn of the Dead.
In 2012, Warner Bros. approached Gunn and told him about an opportunity to work on a secret project with Goichi Suda, a prominent Japanese video game developer known online as Suda51.
This project evolved into Lollipop Chainsaw, an action game starring Juliet, a high school cheerleader who uses her trusty chainsaw to dispatch hordes of undead.
Gunn was initially hired to assist with cutscenes, but as time passed, he was given entire creative authority over the game’s writing and Juliet’s dialogue.
J.J. Abrams – Spyjinx
J.J. Abrams has worked on some of the most iconic Hollywood productions, including LOST, Westworld, and some of the more recent Mission Impossible films. Abrams has also directed a number of critically acclaimed films, including Star Trek (2009) and Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens.
Abrams created Bad Robot Games in 2018, a subsidiary of his film production company, Bad Robot. Bad Robot Games, in collaboration with Epic Games, released Spyjinx in 2020, a spy-themed mobile game for which Abrams acted as creative director. Unfortunately, Epic discontinued support for Spyjinx in April 2021 after an unsuccessful beta.
