While blogs battle it out over who is likely to be the next 007 (Team Idris Elba!), another numbered mystery man is making his presence known. Hitman: Agent 47 stars Rupert Friend (Homeland, Pride & Prejudice) as a genetically-perfected assassin without a name. In order to prevent an evil entity from unlocking the secret to his skills and creating its own army of 47s, the trained killer has to learn as much about his own origins as he can. Your late summer cars-and-guns thrill ride has arrived, and Agent 47 is driving. So, is Hitman: Agent 47 based on a true story?
It is not, unless you subscribe to a conspiracy theory newsletter or something. As far as I know, there is no government agency engineering flawless fighting machines. Though, people do seem to have a cultural fascination with them lately. (See: American Ultra.) Hitman: Agent 47 is actually based on a long-running video game series. The first edition, titled Hitman: Codename 47, was released in 2000 and guides players through a mission to eliminate four crime bosses. Hitman 2: Silent Assassin, Hitman: Contracts, Hitman: Blood Money, and Hitman: Absolution (the most recent, in 2012) all followed. The franchise even includes few Android and iPhone app games. There's a new Hitman due on Dec. 8, and the trailer debuted this summer at E3. Check it out below.
The non-gamers among you may be surprised to find out that these action and horror movies from the last couple of decades are actually based on media you usually need an X-Box or Playstation to enjoy. Leaving the Super Mario Bros. movie out of this for obvious reasons, here are a few more video game adaptations you should know, or know to avoid.
1. The Resident Evil Series
Probably the most successful of all of these, the Resident Evil franchise kicked off in 2002 with Milla Jovovich being all fresh and fearless vanquishing monsters in the lead role. Based on a sci-fi/horror game, the story's appeal lasted long enough to make four sequels.
2. Need For Speed
There are a whopping 22 versions of this well-loved racing game. And 20 years after the first game hit the market, Breaking Bad's Aaron Paul got behind the wheel for a cinematic adaptation. Critics weren't impressed, but the movie did enough business to drive (ha) talks for a follow-up. Aaron Paul and fast cars? Sign me up.
3. Silent Hill
I don't know why some people choose to play games that will scare the crap out of them, but they do, and that's where Silent Hill comes in. You might have thought the 2006 movie was original horror, but it's based on the first four editions of this nightmare-baiting game.
4. Max Payne
Mark Wahlberg got into the game-to-theater trend when he starred as a police offer who takes retribution into his own hands in this adaptation of a popular third-person shooter game. The movie has a fantastical noir kind of look, something one might describe as "Sin City Light."
5. Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time
Both Disney and Jake Gyllenhaal's career took a hit for this one, a big-budget re-envisioning of a video game series that kicked off way back in 1989. From the cheeseball action scenes to Gyllenhaal's hair, nothing about the movie worked. No worries: both the studio and the star are too powerful to be brought down by one flop.
6. House Of The Dead
The House Of The Dead series is playable in almost every format. Because who doesn't like blowing the heads off zombies? The critic community at large would recommend that you stick to doing it yourself. The Uwe Boll-directed movie version is in single digits of approval on Rotten Tomatoes.
Can't decide whether to play or watch? Why not do both?
Image: 20th Century Fox
