Movies based on video games, in general, do not have the greatest track record. Critically savaged films like Street Fighter, Prince of Persia, and most notoriously, Super Mario Bros., have come to represent what is seen as the movie industry's failure to translate what works on game consoles to the big screen. But 2016 looks to change that reputation. Warcraft and Assassin's Creed are debuting later this year with blockbuster potential, but first fans will be treated to the Ratchet & Clank movie. The popular game series has been turned into a computer animated adventure with a star-studded cast, and the film looks like it's going to be just as much fun as the game, meaning fans are likely to want more than just one movie. So will Ratchet & Clank get a sequel?
As of right now, it doesn't look like there are any plans to make a follow-up to Ratchet & Clank. However, that doesn't mean that a sequel won't happen. If the movie is successful and people like it, then of course the studio will explore doing another one. But perhaps more importantly, fans of the games already know that the series has massive franchise potential, thanks to the plethora of games that already exist. And since Ratchet & Clank is largely based on the events of the first game of the series, it seems as if it would be exceedingly easy to segue into the next game for a sequel.
So far, without counting two mobile games that are light on story, there have been a whopping 12 installments in the series since the first game, Ratchet & Clank, debuted in 2002. That was followed up by four more in the "Original Series": Going Commando, Up Your Arsenal, Deadlocked, and Size Matters. Then in 2007 came the start of the four-part "Future Series", consisting of: Tools of Destruction, Quest For Booty, A Crack in Time, and Into the Nexus. Plus, there have been three spin-off games: Secret Agent Clank, All 4 One, and Full Frontal Assault. So not only is there plenty of fodder for a movie sequel, there's enough material for a whole cinematic universe.
However, on the other side of the coin, the Ratchet & Clank movie doesn't follow the first game to the letter. While it does tell the story of Ratchet and Clank's first meeting and team-up against Chairmen Drek in order to save the Solana Galaxy, it also features characters from later games in the series, especially Up Your Arsenal, such as the Galactic Rangers and the series' most iconic villain, Doctor Nefarious. So even though the film is mostly based on the events of the first game, it does seem to muddle the timeline a bit if the series were to move forward.
So really, this could go either way. The universe of Ratchet & Clank is certainly rich enough to populate a whole franchise of movies, but the first film may have made things difficult by incorporating more than they needed to because they thought they would only get one shot at making a film. Fans will just have to wait and see how the first movie performs, and then who knows? Maybe Ratchet & Clank will continue their galaxy-spanning adventures in theaters for years to come.
Images: Gramercy Pictures; giphy.com
