The A24 Elden Ring movie is real and has a director, but I have no idea how it's going to work

Just under a year after FromSoftware president Hidetaka Miyazaki said there was interest at the studio in making an adaptation of Elden Ring with "a very strong partner" and the game's worldbuilding writer George R. R. Martin played coy about whether or not one was in the works, publisher Bandai Namco has officially confirmed that a movie based on the critically acclaimed action RPG is on the way — and that it has a director, as well.

The news came on Thursday evening, with Variety reporting that the movie will be live-action and that the publisher is making it in conjunction with the film production company A24.

It was also revealed that it's being both written and directed by Alex Garland (Ex Machina, Civil War, Warfare) and produced by Peter Rice, Andrew Macdonald, Allon Reich, Martin Gerardis and Vince Gerardis. George R. R. Martin will contribute to the project as well (we're never getting The Winds of Winter).

Shortly after, Bandai Namco took to social media to validate the news, formerly announcing the movie's existence and development with a statement on X (Twitter).

"We’re thrilled to announce that Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc. and A24 are teaming up with writer and director Alex Garland to bring FromSoftware Inc.’s world-renowned video game Elden Ring to life as a live-action film," the company wrote. "We’re truly excited to bring the world of Elden Ring to fans in a new form, outside the game. Stay tuned. The path ahead is only beginning."

I've been a fan of Alex Garland's work for a long time; he wrote the screenplay for 28 Days Later — a film myself and many others consider to be one of the best pieces of zombie media ever made — and directed excellent sci-fi films like Ex Machina and Annihilation, too. 2024's Civil War was also a sobering examination of war journalism and the breakdown of society in armed conflicts, and his latest film Warfare with Ray Mendoza has been highly praised for its highly realistic depiction of the moment-to-moment terrors of combat.

And yet, despite the fact that I almost always enjoy Garland's work and love Elden Ring, my initial reaction to this news was confusion instead of excitement. With its nonlinear, esoteric approach to storytelling, lack of plentiful dialogue, and multiple endings, FromSoftware's latest traditional Soulsborne RPG — like all the ones that came before it — simply doesn't seem like it would be a good fit for the big screen.

Given that players uncover and progress through lots of small side stories as they unravel the main plot, an animated episodic TV show seems like it'd be a far better fit for Elden Ring; the League of Legends show Arcane has proven how wildly successful that kind of adaptation can be, and animation would really help capture the magic-filled spectacle of Elden Ring's action, too.

Of course, I'm absolutely still going to watch it when it comes out, and I'll keep my fingers crossed that it'll be good. Even so, I can't help but feel like a film simply can't capture Elden Ring's magic. The joy of making exciting discoveries as you explore a gargantuan map, the process of experimenting with different builds as you level, thrill of finally taking down that boss — all of that is entirely dependent on the interactivity that the best video games in the medium thrive on.

But hey, you know what? Far be it from me to deter Garland and A24 from trying. And in the meantime? Pick up Elden Ring and experience it for yourself if you haven't already. Right now, the $60 title is as low as $34.79 at CDKeys on Xbox thanks to an awesome deal, with the PC version also on sale for $40.19 at CDKeys. There's also Elden Ring Nightreign, a co-op roguelike spinoff, coming on May 30.

Elden Ring
Was: $59.99
Now: $34.79 at CDKeys (Xbox)

Venture forth to conquer the fallen demi-gods and mindless beasts of the Land Between, and seek out the legendary Elden Ring to reshape the world in your image in one of the finest Soulslike action RPGs made to date.

PC: $40.19 at CDKeys (Steam)
SOTE Edition: $76.99 at CDKeys (Steam)