The idea of an Elden Ring movie got me thinking, and not in a calm, organized way. Like, who on Earth would you get to direct something like that? My first thought was those big fantasy guys — Peter Jackson maybe, or Guillermo del Toro. They’re all about the epic battles, right? And then, Miguel Sapochnik’s name pops up, the Game of Thrones dude with those crazy battle sequences. His "Hardhome" episode? Intense. But then I drift to the stranger choices. Y’know, like Robert Eggers with his Nosferatu vibe. Or maybe Yorgos Lanthimos, because why not throw in a little eccentricity? Bong Joon Ho was hanging out in my thoughts, too. His style’s a wild ride — fits the surreal stuff FromSoftware loves.
But Alex Garland, though? Curveball! I mean, he’s all about that sci-fi life, with Ex Machina and Annihilation. Great films, don’t get me wrong. The man’s got talent, even wrote weird war movies like Civil War and Warfare, and you just wonder how he’s gonna mesh all that with Elden Ring’s world. A24 backing it just sprinkles in extra layers of intrigue. I’m not saying I’m not curious. Just… baffled.
Garland hasn’t ventured into fantasy before, not that we know of. Sci-fi, sure, with deep plots and dialogue. But the stories in Bloodborne or Dark Souls? They’re like reading between the lines, whispered secrets in item descriptions and landscapes. Civil War didn’t dive deep into backstories either, and people noticed. Yet, maybe, just maybe, Garland’s got that adaptability. Changing styles doesn’t seem to faze him.
A tiny revelation hit me — Garland’s a gamer! He dug into Resident Evil for 28 Days Later, and his novel-turned-film The Beach even flirted with gaming ideas. It’s like, who knew? And get this, he’s into The Last of Us, BioShock, and crucially Dark Souls. And he’s got this knack for seeing poetry in those Souls games — like, existential dream vibes. Just imagine that translated onto the big screen.
Annihilation’s trippy aesthetic could work for Elden Ring. But maybe there’s another angle? Warfare could inspire the tension, relentless struggle — Garland could mold that vibe onto Elden Ring’s landscape. Imagine swapping real-world conflict zones for Limgrave ruins. Suddenly it’s about the player’s little journey, battling through, surviving. Not about grand lore.
And hey, rumor says Garland’s considering Kit Connor from Warfare, which could add a suspenseful tone to the film. Makes me think Garland could leverage fear and chaos, much like The Last of Us series did with its adaptation.
Elden Ring isn’t about flashy hero triumphs. You get pummeled, nameless and determined. Garland capturing that? It could be gold. If it mirrors his Warfare style, we might just be in for a cinematic surprise. When Elden Ring hits theaters, this chaotic magic might just work wonders.
Tim Brinkhof pens thoughts on art and history. After NYU journalism, his scribbles have landed on Vox, Slate, and others.
