This Underrated Rockstar Game Is Perfect For A Movie Adaptation

When people think of Rockstar Games, the Grand Theft Auto franchise typically springs to mind, as that’s the jewel in their crown, and rightfully so. But while those video games are amazing, that’s not all that the video game company does, and over the years, they have released titles outside of that franchise.

One underrated Rockstar Games release was 2006’s Bully, which went on to sell over 1.5 million copies. This open-world video game was tons of fun to play, and it would also be ideal for a movie adaptation, which would allow audiences to enjoy the world of Bully in a completely fresh and innovative way.

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What Is Bully About?

Bully’s plot focuses on Jimmy Hopkins, a troubled student who enrolls at a boarding school known as Bullworth Academy. It’s completely the opposite of the life he’s used to, and he instantly stands out in a place filled with distinct cliques that have their own way of doing things. Gamers get the chance to cause chaos around the school and the local community, effectively becoming bullies.

Gamers can dictate many aspects of the story due to its open-world nature, but the game’s central core is for Jimmy to bring all the cliques together to make Bullworth a better place. The game takes place over one year at school, allowing Jimmy to interact with everyone in the school and the area. Much like Grand Theft Auto, there are modes of transport and weapons, although these are toned down for the environment. People can use slingshots and stink bombs or ride around on scooters and go-karts, which helps create a world that is easy to navigate and fun to explore.

How Could It Become A Movie

The story of Bully is perfect for taking and immediately turning into a movie adaptation without many changes needed in terms of the core plot points. It’s essentially a coming-of-age story told via a video game, and that’s a narrative that always delivers in a movie setting too. Whether it’s The Breakfast Club or Booksmart, people enjoy being taken on this type of journey, and because of how naughty Jimmy initially is, it would be perfect for a comedy.

The setting of Bullworth Academy would make a fantastic backdrop, while outside locations such as the fairground and the suburbs would also provide exciting and vibrant sets. The movie would be able to focus on Jimmy’s journey from troublemaker to someone who aims to help create peace within the Bullworth Academy between all the cliques, thus making life a better place for everyone in the school. Along the way, he can overcome various obstacles and problems, and one clique could easily be created as his main nemesis, while there can also be a romantic subplot, as is the case with the video game.

A movie could even create a more emotional narrative by looking into Jimmy’s home life and potentially creating a difficult circumstance for him within that setting. Adding that element to his past would allow the character to be even more relatable and help separate the movie from the video game simultaneously, as it would provide a distinct story that’s not part of the game itself.

Why It Would Work As A Movie Adaptation

The main reason it could work is that Rockstar Games has already created a brilliant story narrative within the video game. The company is notorious for it, with detailed storylines and plots being what they do best, whether it’s Bully or a GTA game. Those stories create distinct characters that could be tapped into, and the fact the game is an open world means there are already tons of locations that fans would have in their mind that they want to see, providing even more of a reason to turn this into a film.

Bully was also incredibly popular for its time and sold over 1.5 million copies, showcasing that there would be an audience for it right from the start. It was critically successful, too, so it wouldn’t be a crazy leap to believe that this story is capable of being turned into a movie that would be interesting, entertaining, and funny.

Video game adaptations have often been hit or miss within the Hollywood landscape, with many movies missing the mark and failing to capture the essence of the game itself. However, with Bully, there is a character that’s easy to connect with and write about and has a distinct story that isn’t out of the realm of possibility. This isn’t a story that could just appeal to fans of the game, and that’s ultimately why it’s a perfect option to be made into a movie. It would have mass appeal if the story is well put together because everyone can remember distinct moments from school and people who changed.