Why this film is A24’s biggest gamble yet
Think indie cool meets colossal fantasy. A24 — known for taking chances on weird, brilliant movies — is backing an adaptation of Elden Ring on a scale the company hasn’t attempted before. It’s the kind of project that makes execs trade their artisanal coffee for spreadsheets full of VFX vendors and remote locations.
Who’s steering the ship
Alex Garland is writing and directing, bringing his knack for tense, cerebral storytelling to a world co-created by Hidetaka Miyazaki and George R.R. Martin. Translation: expect thoughtful world-building plus a healthy dose of mythic danger.
What the story might look like
Details are being kept close to the chest, but the movie is expected to unfold in the Betweenlands — a weird, high-stakes realm ruled by demi-god figures warped by pieces of a shattered magical ring. If the film follows the game’s beats, the plot will center on an exile trying to hunt down scattered ring fragments and stitch the world back together — with plenty of epic encounters along the way.
Money talks: budget and what it means
Insiders say this isn’t your usual A24 art-house price tag. The production budget climbs well above $100 million, making it the studio’s most expensive undertaking to date. For reference, A24’s previous heavy hitters sat around the mid-seven-figure mark, so this is a major step up into blockbuster territory.
Long shoot, long polish
Filming is slated to run roughly 100 days — and that’s just principal photography. Add extended post-production and heavy visual effects work, and you get a big reason why the movie isn’t landing next year despite cameras rolling already.
When we’ll actually see it
Mark your calendars: the film is scheduled to arrive in theaters on March 3, 2028. Plenty of time to start fan theories, cosplay plans, and speculation threads.
The cast: a curious mix of faces
The ensemble pulls from indie darlings and familiar character actors. Key names attached include Kit Connor, Ben Whishaw, and Cailee Spaeny. Rounding out the roster are Tom Burke, Havana Rose Liu, Sonoya Mizuno, Jonathan Pryce, Nick Offerman, John Hodgkinson, Jefferson Hall, Emma Laird, and Peter Serafinowicz. It’s a lineup that promises both star power and scene-stealing surprises.
What to expect (and what to worry about)
Expect grand visuals, dense lore, and the kind of weird, somber tone that made the source material famous. Also expect A24’s sensibility to keep things grounded where it matters: character stakes over spectacle for spectacle’s sake. The big concern? Balancing a sprawling game world into a satisfying two-hour-plus movie — but with Garland at the helm, you can bet they’ll aim for something thoughtful, not throwaway.
The takeaway
This isn’t just another video-game movie. It’s A24 attempting a full-on fantasy epic with a heavy hitter behind the camera, a huge budget, and a cast built for nuance. Fans of the game should be cautiously excited, while curious moviegoers can look forward to an ambitious, hopefully weird and wonderful fantasy experience in 2028.