This is the day you don’t skip at the tabletop gym because you don’t want your lists to look all scrawny and weak. It’s so unattractive when lists are neglected while everything else is robust and muscular…

That’s why we’re going to pump our lists full of Kickstarter convos, board game paraphernalia, and all of the other tabletop-adjacent talk that gets the Internet into a tizzy. Enjoy.

We often see lists about intellectual properties (IPs) we’d like to see brought from the screen to the table, but what about the other way around? While Hollywood’s historical attempts to bring video games to the big screen have been less than stellar (1993’s Super Mario Bros. and 1994’s Street Fighter come to mind...), I’m not ready to prematurely throw in the towel on seeing some of my favorite board games brought to life. With a good script, careful casting, and the right production team, I think the below IPs might translate well to another medium. After all, the film adaptation of Parker Brother’s Monopoly (titled Wolf of Wall Street, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and directed by Martin Scorsese) was nominated for five Oscars and won a Golden Globe.

Without further ado, here are five IPs I would like to see adapted for the screen, as well as the specific on-screen medium I believe would be ideal.

Scythe

Brought to life as a Netflix Mini-Series

Scythe brings an alternate history featuring an imagined version of World War I fought with huge mechs, resulting in the nations of Eastern Europe dissolving into city-states and dissociated factions vying for control of the land. Game of Thrones proved audiences love to root for an underdog and his familiar when Jon Snow and Ghost became fan favorites as they struggled to survive and unite the dissociated factions presiding in the dystopian wasteland north of the Wall. I believe a savvy showrunner could recreate that magic in the world of Scythe. I picture Chloe Grace Moretz as the resilient and relatable Anna with her sidekick bear fighting to unite the population with equal parts compassion and cunning, while seeking alliances and/or outwitting rival leader and frenemy Gunther von Duisburg (Tom Hardy would be a good choice) and his wolves. It could easily be the “next big thing” Netflix has been searching for.

Red Dragon Inn

Brought to life as an Animated Series

I envision the classic sitcom Cheers rebooted for Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim, but cast with familiar over-the-top fantasy tropes. Heroes, wizards, ogres, and other fantastical creatures unwind after a long day of saving the realm (or trying to destroy it) to exchange jokes and verbal jabs over ice-cold beers. Voice-over legends like Billy West, Hank Azaria, and Pamela Adlon could handle 90% of the characters themselves, with Tom Hardy voicing a wizened, retired former hero that now runs the bar, dispensing sage-like advice and frothy beverages, but retaining just enough of an edge to ensure the orcs pay their tab.

Spirit Island

Brought to life as a Pixar Animated Feature

I can already hear the Alan Menken original soundtrack for Pixar’s next blockbuster smash! An anti-colonialism epic focused more on the spirits protecting the island than the people they are protecting. We might need to replace some of the “Rain of Blood” type effects with more family-friendly fare, but this IP is ripe for an animated feature as the likes of Thunderspeaker, River Surges in Sunlight, Lightning’s Swift Strike, and A Spread of Rampant Green seek to repel the colonial invaders led by the dastardly and determined Tom Hardy-voiced Admiral Stinkyface.

Fireball Island

Brought to life as a Blockbuster Action Movie

This game is tailor-made for a blockbuster Indiana Jones-style adventure film set on Fireball Island. An island steeped in ancient legends, it is dotted with ominous caves filled with as many priceless artifacts as there are booby traps protecting them. Enter our unlikely hero, a British accountant vacationing with his family, with the unlucky timing to be checking into the island resort just as some greedy artifact hunters awaken an ancient evil as they attempt to steal the Heart of the Island. Our hero, who just happens to be a retired special forces operative, must stop the bad guys and help his family escape the island before the ancient spirits destroy everyone on it. I can’t think of anyone more perfect for the role than Tom Hardy.

Grimslingers

Brought to life as an HBO Original Series

Stephen S. Gibson’s visual masterpiece would be perfect for an HBO original series as the spiritual successor to the Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. that we’ve all been waiting for, albeit a little grittier and with better special effects. I wouldn’t put it past Bruce Campbell to reprise his role for a cameo (or even better, a recurring cameo!) as he assists our hero (Tom Hardy, obviously) in his quest to defeat the evil Witch-King in a post-apocalyptic desert wasteland imbued with all manner of science fiction and fantasy elements.

Honorable Mentions:

GlenMore II: Chronicles, a reality gameshow hosted by Tom Hardy
Gloomhaven, a fantasy epic starring Tom Hardy as a Cragheart who is not to be trifled with Carcassone, a Masterpiece Theatre series starring Tom Hardy as a blue meeple
Altiplano, a Broadway musical starring Tom Hardy as a llama
Hansa Teutonica, a romantic comedy starring Tom Hardy as a wooden cube

What games do you think would translate well to the big (or small) screen? What did I overlook? Let me know in the comments!