Christopher Judge has watched Hollywood turn more games into movies and television shows. One decision still makes no sense to him: studios often buy a successful game, then build the adaptation without many of the actors and writers who made it work.
During a recent Fan Expo panel, Judge said his problem with game adaptations is that companies begin with a proven property and then do not hire the people connected to it. GamesRadar reported his comments after a video from the panel spread online.
Judge was not arguing that every adaptation must copy the game scene by scene. He was asking why experienced people are treated as though they have nothing useful to offer once live action begins.
His strongest example is God of War
Judge has played Kratos since God of War released in 2018. The role includes voice acting and performance capture, so his work covers the character's voice, movement, timing, and emotional reactions.
Amazon's God of War series is being made with a new live-action cast and writing team. Alastair Duncan, who plays Mimir in the games, is involved, but Judge focused on the absence of the writers who have spent years building this version of the world.
His criticism is easy to understand. A television writer may know how to structure an episode, while a game writer knows why Kratos speaks so little, how his relationship with Atreus changed, and which details fans will notice immediately. A strong adaptation can use both kinds of experience.
The Last of Us is more complicated
Judge also praised Pedro Pascal while questioning whether the HBO cast was better than the performers from the game. That part will divide fans. Troy Baker and Ashley Johnson gave defining performances, but live action asks for a different kind of work and a different production schedule.
There is also an important correction to the broad version of this debate: HBO's The Last of Us did not shut out everyone from the games. Co-creator Neil Druckmann helped create and write the series, and several game actors appeared in new roles.
That does not cancel Judge's point. It shows what a better balance can look like. The adaptation used new leads while keeping people who understood the original story close to the production.
Original creators should have a seat at the table
A game actor will not always be the right choice for live action. A game writer may not want to repeat the same story. Sometimes a new director sees a better way to handle a scene on television.
None of those decisions require pushing the original team away. Studios can bring in new talent and still listen to the people who know why players cared in the first place.
That involvement can be practical, not ceremonial. Original performers know which pauses, gestures, and lines players remember. Writers can explain which parts of the lore are flexible and which changes would break a character. Producers are still free to make a television show, but they make those choices with better information.
Judge's frustration comes from watching that knowledge get ignored before filming even starts. Considering how many adaptations have lost fans by changing basic parts of their characters, it is a fair complaint.
