Microsoft Pushing for More Films, TV Shows Based on Xbox Games, Says Phil Spencer

Video game adaptations have taken off in the past few years, with TV shows based on League of Legends and The Last of Us becoming household names.

Written by Manas Mitul | Updated: 21 March 2025 13:27 IST

Microsoft Pushing for More Films, TV Shows Based on Xbox Games, Says Phil Spencer

Photo Credit: Bethesda/ Prime Video

The first season of Fallout released on Prime Video in 2024

Highlights

Microsoft's Halo TV series was cancelled after two seasons
A Minecraft Movie releases in thatres on April 4
Fallout's first season met with critical acclaim

Microsoft will push for more film and TV adaptations of Xbox games, the company has said. A film based on Minecraft is set to release in theatres next month, and the Xbox parent found success with the Fallout TV series on Amazon Prime Video last year. A TV series based on Halo, Microsoft's biggest gaming IP, premiered on Paramount Plus in 2022. The show, however, was cancelled after a two-season run.

More Xbox Adaptions on the Way

A Variety report published Wednesday on the making of A Minecraft Movie touched upon Microsoft's “trial and error” approach to film and TV adaptations of its video game properties. Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer said that more movies and TV shows based on Xbox games were on their way.

“We're learning and growing through this process, which is giving us more confidence that we should do more,” Spencer told Variety. “We learned from doing ‘Halo.' We learned from doing ‘Fallout.' So all of these build on themselves. And obviously we'll have a couple that miss. But what I'd say to the Xbox community that likes this work is, ‘You're going to see more, because we're gaining confidence and we're learning through this.'”

Fallout Review: Much More Than Just a Violent Video Game Adaptation

Spencer, however, did not share details about Xbox IP set for film and TV adaptations.

Video game adaptations have taken off in the past few years, with TV shows based on League of Legends (Arcane) and Sony's The Last of Us becoming household names. Bethesda's Fallout franchise got its own TV adaptation in 2024, with the studio collaborating with TV veterans Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy for the first season of the show on Prime Video. Fallout met with critical acclaim and was lauded by fans of the franchise for its authentic screen adaptation of a familiar video game world. Reception to Microsoft's Halo TV series, on the other hand, was mixed and the show was cancelled in 2024 after two seasons.

On the film front, Nintendo's The Super Mario Bros. Movie was a breakout hit of 2023, collecting over $1 billion (roughly Rs. 8,605 crore) on the box office globally. Take-Two's 2024 Borderlands film adaptation, on the other hand, was a critical and commercial failure.

Naughty Dog's Said to Be Taking Inspiration From Elden Ring for Its Next Game

A Minecraft Movie, made in collaboration with Legendary Entertainment and Warner Bros. Pictures, is set to arrive in theaters on April 4.

A Minecraft Movie

Release Date 4 April 2025
Language English
Genre Action, Adventure, Animation
Cast
Jason Momoa, Emma Myers, Danielle Brooks, Sebastian Eugene Hansen, Jennifer Coolidge
Director
Jared Hess
Producer
Roy Lee, Mary Parent

Read Review

Fallout Season 1

Release Date 11 April 2024
Genre Action, Adventure, Drama
Cast
Ella Purnell, Walton Goggins, Aaron Moten, Moisés Arias, Kyle MacLachlan, Sarita Choudhury, Michael Emerson, Leslie Uggams, Frances Turner, Dave Register, Zach Cherry, Johnny Pemberton, Rodrigo Luzzi, Annabel O'Hagan, Xelia Mendes-Jones
Director
Jonathan Nolan, Daniel Gray Longino, Clare Kilner, Frederick E.O. Toye, Wayne Yip
Producer
Geneva Robertson-Dworet, Graham Wagner, Margot Lulick, James W. Skotchdopole, Jonathan Nolan, Lisa Joy, Athena Wickham, Todd Howard, James Altman

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Further reading: Xbox, Microsoft, Phil Spencer, Fallout, Minecraft

Manas Mitul

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In his time as a journalist, Manas Mitul has written on a wide spectrum of beats including politics, culture and sports. He enjoys reading, walking around in museums and rewatching films. Talk to Manas about footbal... more »