Few games made a splash at E3 like Cyberpunk 2077, CD Projekt Red’s hotly anticipated video game that people have been waiting on seemingly forever. The game already had a ton of hype surrounding it but that hype skyrocketed even higher when it was revealed that Keanu Reeves is appearing in the game as a major character. The crowd at E3 was dumbfounded when Reeves’s digital face popped up on the screen.
Reeves is a movie star. Cyberpunk 2077 is a video game. Obviously some people are going to wonder if a 2077 movie is going to happen. It only makes sense, right? Why keep the talents of Reeves confined to the digital world? If anyone can make a video game adaptation work, it’s him!
Well, Reeves’s involvement definitely does make a movie version of the game more likely. According to Cyberpunk creator Mike Pondsmith, Reeves being a part of the game raises the prospects of a movie adaptation. Here’s his quote to VGC:
“I can’t really say anything on [movie rights]. But with Keanu Reeves being tied up in things, it’s become much more of a possibility.”
I think “a possibility” is putting it lightly. Let’s be honest: Keanu Reeves has never been hotter or more well-liked. He’s always had his fans, of course, but lately he is seen as an international treasure. I think Reeves could get Mortdecai 2 greenlit if he wanted to. So a Cyberpunk 2077 movie is something that most studios would jump at.
Of course the price tag on this adaptation would be a little hard to swallow. The game looks immense, incredibly detailed and uncompromisingly expensive. Reeves makes the movie a possibility but it is still one pricey possibility.
I think we should all wait and see about a Cyberpunk 2077 movie. The game hasn’t even hit shelves yet. Who knows, maybe it’ll come out and be ravaged by critics. It’s unlikely, sure, but anything can happen. Pondsmith is right, a movie adaptation of his game is a stronger possibility because Reeves is co-starring in it. But he might be trying to hype up the game in the months leading up to its release.
This leads to a bigger question: which other celebrities would you want to see in a video game? I know other stars have done it before (the disgraced Kevin Spacey comes to mind) but who else should make the leap to console? Matt Damon? Christian Bale? Gal Gadot? If Keanu makes Cyberpunk a bigger hit, you can bet other stars will try their hands at becoming digital. Personally I want to see a Mad Max game starring Tom Hardy.