I no longer flinch at seeing movie stars in video games. On the contrary: I fangirl scream when I realized that Keanu Reeves is reprising his role as John Wick in the upcoming PS5 game. It doesn't matter whether you're a Cyberpunk 2077 fan who's excited to have Johnny Silverhand back on your console or a John Wick aficionado buying your first PS5: Reeves' digital likeness has become an accidental figurehead, the modern day advocate of game-movie crossovers and their faded but fascinating legacy.
The symbiotic relationship between the two has proved that developers and film studios have finally worked out how to make Hollywood IPs work as video games – and all it took was a generation of trial runs.
