Today, when a movie gets made, its success rides on more than the box office takings. There are all sorts of other ways that are very important when it comes to recouping the huge production costs.

From toy action figures of the main characters to video games timed to coincide with the release of the movie, the revenue streams are extensive. But there’s one that is less widely publicised, and this is the creation of slots games that perfectly capture the mood and tone of the movie.

Over time, there have been an increasing number of these. In some cases, they have even been created long after the film has been in the cinema and has become a DVD favourite instead.

There has been an extra layer of quality added to the games as many of them now feature clips of the movies themselves. If you play at a highly-regarded site like 888 casino, you’ll have a selection of over one thousand games, including many online slots based on hit movies.

One surprising aspect, as the examples chosen here show, is that the movie slots work across most genres from drama to comedy and from historical epic to horror movies.

Gladiator

Of all the roles played by Russell Crowe, it’s perhaps his performance as Maximus Decimus Meridius in the 2000 that is his most famous. The Ridley Scott-directed epic brought back memories of a previous era of movies like Spartacus and Ben-Hur in its grand scale and spectacular scenes.

Many of these are perfectly brought to life in this game from the slots experts Playtech which features a booming and emotive soundtrack as well as many of the characters from the movie. These include Juba the Champion, Commodus, Lucilla, and Proximo although, strangely, Decimus Maximus doesn’t feature.

The game’s five reels provide 50 different ways to win and there is also a progressive jackpot – a feature that could win one lucky player a truly life-changing prize if the reels come up for them.

Ghostbusters

In anyone’s list of the greatest action/comedy movies of the 1980s, Ghostbusters must come pretty near the top. But then it did have all the ingredients to be a smash with a cast including Bill Murray, Dan Ackroyd, Sigourney Weaver and Rick Moranis as well as one of the decade’s hottest comedy directors Ivan Reitman whose other credits included the Arnold Schwarzenegger vehicles Twins and Kindergarten Cop.

The movie was hailed as truly ground-breaking mixture of slapstick comedy and mild horror spawning both a sequel and a reboot in 2016 of the 1984 original which proved a little controversial with die-hard fans.

There’s no controversy, however, about the slot of the same name that is a big favourite even with players who have never seen the original movies.

A Nightmare on Elm Street

Another film that made a huge impact on when it was also released in 1984 was Wes Craven’s horror that introduced the terrifying Freddy Krueger to an unsuspecting world.

The film tapped into many people’s subconscious fear that they were at their most vulnerable when they were asleep – that was when Freddy would come calling for them.

The slots game is an almost-perfect re-imagining of the movie that includes many of the most iconic items from it including the coffee that’s vital to keep would-be victims awake to the phone that can be used to make the emergency phone call to a friend.

The soundtrack to the slot is also just as spine-tingling as you’d expect it to be, making it definitely not one to play in the dark.

Ted

After that, we need a little light relief so where better to find it than from Seth McFarlane’s 2012 comedy featuring an X-rated teddy bear that comes back to life. It’s certainly true that the film received mixed reviews when it came out with many critics praising the humour and the concept but finding the plot a little underwhelming.

Nevertheless, it was good enough to merit a 2015 sequel thanks to the nearly $600 million it took at the box office while only costing $50 million to make.

As you might expect, the game is almost as anarchic as the movie itself with Ted taking centre-stage and guiding players through the various features that include a mini game in which he attempts to spray beer across the reels and another in which he takes control of a TV remote to re-spin the reels.

Creature From The Black Lagoon

For the final selection, we’re going all the way back to a 3D horror movie from 1954. When The Creature From The Black Lagoon hit the screens its underwater scenes were singled out for particular praise. It has also been cited as a major influence on 2017’s multi-Oscar winning The Shape of Water, particularly for the design of the creature.

The slot perfectly capture the B-movie feel with a tense soundtrack and classic graphics. In the original, the creature was a danger to the public. So the designers of this game have had no hesitation of including a round in which the aim is to kill him with harpoons. A grisly feature you might think, but integral to the narrative.

Of course, there are many more movie-themed slots to enjoy, particularly for fans of comic-book heroes. But these, many people agree, really are pick of the crop. So put on some popcorn and get ready to play.