The acclaimed action-RPG Elden Ring, developed by FromSoftware, is set to make the leap to the big screen with a live-action film adaptation. In an announcement made on Friday, publisher Bandai Namco revealed that it will collaborate with film production company A24 for this project. British director Alex Garland, recognized for his contributions to the sci-fi genre, will take the reins as both writer and director.
Film Adaptation of Elden Ring in Development
This announcement comes in the wake of several successful live-action adaptations of popular video games. A Minecraft Movie, which debuted last month, is currently approaching the $1 billion mark in global box office gross. Garland, acclaimed for films such as Ex Machina and Annihilation, will lead the creative team for the Elden Ring film. Joining him as producers are George R.R. Martin, known for his role in shaping the game’s narrative in collaboration with FromSoftware, as well as Peter Rice, Andrew Macdonald, Allon Reich, and Vince Gerardis, according to the official confirmation from Bandai Namco.
Garland’s recent project was co-directing the film Warfare, which A24 distributed earlier this year. This film, based on the experiences of the Iraq War, was released in March. Prior to that, he worked on the political action-thriller Civil War, also under the A24 banner.
Live-action adaptations of video games have gained significant traction, driven by the success of television series such as HBO’s The Last of Us and Amazon Prime Video’s Fallout. In 2023, The Super Mario Bros. Movie grossed over a billion dollars worldwide. While many adaptations have found favor with audiences, there have been notable failures, such as last year’s Borderlands film, which was criticized and underperformed at the box office. Nevertheless, the interest in video game adaptations continues, with numerous projects already announced.
A24 is additionally reported to be working on a live-action film adaptation of Death Stranding in collaboration with Kojima Productions. Other adaptations for popular titles like Ghost of Tsushima, The Legend of Zelda, Helldivers, Days Gone, and more are also in the pipeline.
In December 2024, Elden Ring’s game director Hidetaka Miyazaki stated there are currently no plans for a sequel to the praised action-RPG, though he expressed that the Elden Ring intellectual property could be explored in different formats. “We don’t have any particular plans for Elden Ring 2,” Miyazaki remarked at the PlayStation Partner Awards 2024 Japan Asia event. “However, I would like to assure you that we are not ruling out the development of the IP ‘Elden Ring’ in some form in the future,” he added.
Since its release on PC and consoles in 2022, Elden Ring has received widespread acclaim from critics and players alike. Last month, it was reported that the game has sold over 30 million copies in the three years since its launch. Bandai Namco and FromSoftware are also preparing to release Elden Ring Nightreign, a standalone multiplayer spinoff, later this month.
