The Elden Ring movie just got very real. A24 confirmed a March 3, 2028 theatrical release for Alex Garland's live-action adaptation of FromSoftware's 30-million-selling action RPG, and the details that came with that date are genuinely exciting.
The film is being shot specifically for IMAX, not just formatted for it after the fact. That decision alone signals how seriously A24 is treating this. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the budget is "well over $100 million," making it A24's most expensive production ever, surpassing both Marty Supreme and Garland's own Civil War.
A cast that actually makes sense
Thirteen actors have been confirmed, and the lineup reads like someone actually thought about it rather than just chasing names.
Cailee Spaeny (Alien: Romulus, Civil War) headlines alongside Ben Whishaw (the voice of Paddington Bear and Q in three James Bond films) and Nick Offerman, who most recently played Bill in The Last of Us. The rest of the confirmed cast:
- Kit Connor (Warfare, Heartstopper)
- Tom Burke (Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Black Bag)
- Havana Rose Liu (Bottoms)
- Sonoya Mizuno (Ex Machina)
- Jonathan Pryce (The Two Popes, The Crown)
- Ruby Cruz (Bottoms)
- John Hodgkinson (Napoleon)
- Jefferson Hall (House of the Dragon, Oppenheimer)
- Emma Laird (28 Years Later: The Bone Temple)
- Peter Serafinowicz (Guardians of the Galaxy)
None of the character assignments have been announced yet. Given that Elden Ring's lore spans demigods, undead Tarnished, and figures like Marika and Malenia, the casting choices will only make sense once those roles go public.
How Garland got here
The backstory on Garland's involvement is worth knowing. According to a New Yorker profile from last year, he wrote a 160-page script on spec, added 40 pages of visual reference material, then flew to Japan to pitch FromSoftware directly. That is not a normal move for a director of his profile, and it tells you exactly how much he wanted this.
Here's the thing: Garland is also, by his own account, genuinely obsessed with the source material. As of last year, he was on his seventh playthrough of Elden Ring. Speaking to IGN ahead of 28 Years Later, he named Malenia, Blade of Miquella as the game's hardest boss and described his strategy as pure attrition. "It's not that you get better," he said. "It's more like monkeys and typewriters. You just keep doing it, and eventually, one day they're dead."
That kind of specific, lived-in knowledge of the game matters. Garland isn't adapting a franchise he studied from a wiki. He's been playing it for years.
Set leaks and George R. R. Martin's take
Production is already underway, and this month has seen several apparent set leaks circulate online. Fans spotted what looks like a game-accurate statue of Marika, along with structures resembling the hanging pylons found across Limgrave in the game. Whether A24 intended those leaks to build hype or not, they worked.
George R. R. Martin has been publicly enthusiastic. He called Garland a "first rate director" and A24 "kickass," and described his mood as "hopeful" when sharing a YouTube video titled "Why the Elden Ring Movie WON'T SUCK." For a project that could easily have gone sideways with the wrong creative team, having both Miyazaki and Martin engaged and optimistic is a good sign.
For Elden Ring players who want to revisit the game ahead of the film, browse our gaming guides to find walkthroughs, build tips, and boss strategies. The wait until March 2028 is long enough that a fresh run through the Lands Between is entirely reasonable.
With production underway, IMAX locked in, and a cast that mixes prestige drama talent with genre veterans, the Elden Ring movie is shaping up to be the most serious attempt yet at bringing a FromSoftware world to the big screen. The next thing to watch for is character casting reveals, which should clarify exactly which corners of the Elden Ring lore Garland is pulling from. For more gaming and film coverage as it breaks, check out our latest gaming news
