Ubisoft Tencent transmedia deals shift power from Hollywood studios to game publishers
Summary
Nearly 25% of upcoming Hollywood films are game adaptations, per Ubisoft's film and TV chief.
Game publishers are moving from passive IP licensors to active co-producers with retained creative control.
Standard Hollywood deal terms were built for book authors, not multi-million-dollar game franchises.
"Gaming companies are now doing a better job of keeping creative control."
01
Game adaptations approach comic-book-era volume in Hollywood
Screen Play at BFI Southbank roughly doubled attendance from 2025 to 2026.
Helene Juguet, MD of Film and TV at Ubisoft, cited nearly 25% of upcoming Hollywood films as game-based.
A24's Elden Ring film, written and directed by Alex Garland, has entered UK production.
Mario and Minecraft films established commercial proof, lowering risk for future deals.
02
Hollywood deal terms price game IP like book options, creating structural mismatch
Standard book-option deals: ~$100K option fee, ~$1M on greenlight, per Simon Pulman, partner at Pryor Cashman.
Those sums are negligible for publishers with multi-million-selling franchises.
Standard studio contracts claim merchandising, music, stage, location-based, podcast, and sometimes game rights.
Informal email acceptance can be legally binding under Californian law.
Game publishers must concede some rights to get productions greenlit.
03
Ubisoft Tencent alliance models the shift from licensor to co-producer
Tencent's Maslowicz: when the power balance was different, Hollywood would pick a game and make their own version.
Publishers with scaled businesses now negotiate retained creative oversight, not just approval rights.
This structure keeps long-term IP valuation upside with the game company.
Co-production credit resets negotiating leverage versus standard rights buyouts.
04
Hollywood bets on game audiences it does not understand
Today's directors often grew up as players; Genki Kawamura, director of Exit 8, is a cited example.
C-suite comprehension still lags behind director-level literacy.
"I do not understand games. I probably will never understand games. But I believe that you guys believe it's the future, and I'm going to bet on that."
That blind spot gives game publishers leverage to dictate creative terms.
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United Kingdom
COMPILED BY GAMES ATLAS EDITORIAL
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