FromSoftware’s dark fantasy videogame Elden Ring is set to become a movie courtesy of A24, reports suggest – with Alex Garland in talks to direct.
Having directed the unnervingly raw dystopia of Civil War, and co-directed the similarly intense Warfare with Ray Mendoza, Alex Garland could be stepping into more fantastical territory next.
According to reports going around over the past couple of days, Garland is in talks to direct Elden Ring – an adaptation of FromSoftware’s dark fantasy RPG from 2022. The project is said to be in the works at A24, making it potentially one of the biggest and most complex movies the production company has undertaken so far.
There’s been a bit of confusion around all the reporting, though. A website called Nexus Point News published a story about Garland’s attachment earlier this week, then swiftly took it down again.
Since then, however, Hollywood insider Jeff Sneider has said that “Alex Garland IS in negotiations to direct ELDEN RING for A24,” according to a tweet he wrote on the 7th May.
Going back to Nexus Point’s now deleted post, the rumour was that Garland would start filming his take on Elden Ring in 2026.
None of this is confirmed, of course, but if it’s true, then it’d make for an unexpected left-turn in Garland’s career. He’s talked about stepping back from directing in recent years, and among the work he’s produced so far, he’s dabbled in horror (28 Days Later, Men), sci-fi (Ex Machina, Annihilation, TV’s Devs) and drama (The Beach) but not outright fantasy. He is into his videogames, though, so maybe he’s such a big of FromSoftware’s output that he couldn’t refuse the offer.
One of the most acclaimed games of 2022, Elden Ring was praised for the sheer vastness of its world and its intricate design. How such a huge – and oppressive – game will be distilled down into one comparatively short movie remains to be seen.
The publicity trail for 28 Years Later will kick in soon, though, so we may here from Garland on the matter – either confirming or refuting the reports – in the coming weeks.
More on this as we get it.
