Viewers may have been bitten by The Last of Us bug but the post-apocalyptic series has failed to topple Tomb Raider as the UK’s favourite video game remake, research by TV streaming service WatchTVAbroad.com reveals.
BEST VIDEO GAME REMAKE
A fifth of Brits (19%) rated the hit HBO series, which ended its first season this month, their favourite video game adaptation as it won acclaim from critics and audiences alike.
However the dynamic zombie-fighting duo of Joel and Ellie, played by Pedro Pascal and British actress Bella Ramsey, were kept off the top spot by viewers’ love of Lara Croft. One in four (25%) chose the Tomb Raider film series, which has starred Angelina Jolie and Alicia Vikander as Lara, as their top choice.
Third in the league table of TV and films inspired by video games is Netflix series The Witcher, which features Brit Henry Cavill in the main role (18.6%). The film series Resident Evil (18%) and Sonic the Hedgehog rounds off the top five (17%).
Table: The UK’s favourite video game adaptations
|
Rank
|
TV/film remake of video game
|
Percentage
of votes |
|
1
|
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (Film series, 2001)
|
25%
|
|
2
|
The Last of Us (TV series, 2023)
|
19%
|
|
3
|
The Witcher (TV series, 2019)
|
18.6%
|
|
4
|
Resident Evil (Film series, 2002)
|
18%
|
|
5
|
Sonic the Hedgehog (Film series, 2020)
|
17%
|
|
6
|
Pokemon (Film series, 1998)
|
13.5%
|
|
7
|
Silent Hill (Film series, 2006)
|
13.5%
|
|
8
|
Assassin’s Creed (Film, 2016)
|
13%
|
|
9
|
Super Mario Brothers (Film, 1993)
|
12.8%
|
|
10
|
Hitman (Film series, 2007)
|
12%
|
Source: WatchTVAbroad.com
AGE FACTOR
The WatchTVAbroad.com study suggests age plays a big factor when it comes to picking the top gaming remake.
One in five (20%) of those aged 16-24 singled out Uncharted, last year’s film version of the treasure hunting game, as their number one, narrowly pipping Pokemon (15.65%).
And while both men and women agreed the Tomb Raider series was their top remake, men opted for the Resident Evil horror films as their runner-up (15%), while women picked the family-friendly Sonic the Hedgehog movies as their number two (23%).
GRIPPING
Jeff Richey, TV analyst at WatchTVAbroad.com, comments: “Viewers have been sinking their teeth into the Last of Us since January and it’s a perfect example of how a gripping video game storyline can be made for a different audience.
“The popularity and profits of the most successful games mean producers will always be tempted by big and small-screen adaptations — but there have been some pixel-perfect turkeys in the past.
GAME OVER
“For critics, the 1993 Super Mario Bros film, starring John Leguizamo and Bob Hoskins, was an instant game over but surprisingly despite the bad reviews it placed at ninth in our survey.
“With the first season of The Last of Us setting viewing records for HBO, and a second already commissioned, Joel and Ellie have given the credibility of a genre a huge boost and blazed a trail for more of our favourite console characters to follow.”