Acclaimed fantasy author George R.R. Martin is once again fueling speculation about an Elden Ring movie. The Game of Thrones creator, who helped build the world of FromSoftware's Elden Ring, recently told IGN that there are talks about making a movie based on the critically acclaimed action role-playing game.
“Well, I can't say too much about it, but there is some talk about making a movie out of Elden Ring,” Martin told IGN. It should be noted that Martin was actually asked if he would be interested in returning for a sequel game to Elden Ring, but he sidestepped that question and instead steered the conversation toward a movie adaptation.
Although George R.R. Martin is probably best known for writing the fantasy novels A Song of Ice and Fire, he played a major role in Elden Ring's development as the game's primary worldbuilder. The credits for the game even begin by revealing the Elden Ring world was created by FromSoftware chief Hidetaki Miyazaki and George R. R. Martin. So if anyone were to have an inside scoop about a movie adaptation, it would probably be him.
Unfortunately, if a movie is in development, Martin is unsure how involved he can be due to his current work on The Winds of Winter, the next novel in his series which he has been working on for 13 years now.
“We'll see if that [the Elden Ring movie] comes to pass and what the extent of my involvement was, I don't know,” he told IGN. “I'm a few years behind with my latest book, so that also limits the amount of things that I can do.”
This, of course, isn't the first time Martin has brought up the possibility of an Elden Ring movie. Last summer, the award-winning author strongly suggested that a film adaptation of the 2022 Game of the Year is in the works. He wrote at the time:
Oh, and about those rumors you may have heard about a feature film or television series based on ELDEN RING… I have nothing to say. Not a word, nope, not a thing, I know nothing, you never heard a peep from me, mum mum mum. What rumor?
This post alone sparked plenty of speculation about an Elden Ring movie and although nothing has been announced yet, FromSoftware president and Elden Ring director Hidetaka Miyazaki revealed he would be open to an adaptation of the game.
“I don’t see any reason to deny another interpretation or adaptation of Elden Ring, a movie for example,” Miyazaki said in an interview with The Guardian last year. “But I don’t think myself, or FromSoftware, have the knowledge or ability to produce something in a different medium.”
“So that’s where a very strong partner would come into play,” he added. “We’d have to build a lot of trust and agreement on whatever it is we’re trying to achieve, but there’s interest, for sure.”
Elsewhere in his IGN interview, Martin explained exactly how he helped FromSoftware with worldbuilding for Elden Ring. He recalled:
“... when they came to me, FromSoftware, they wanted the world. They knew the action of Elden Ring that the players would get into would be in the ‘present.’ But something had created that present, had created that world. So where did that world come from? And I've done a lot of world building, most notably on Westeros and the backgrounds of A Song of Ice and Fire and Game of Thrones. And I like doing world building. So what had happened 5,000, 10,000 years before the current day action in Elden Ring that led them to that place? And I had some ideas about the magic and the runes. There was a lot about runes. And I worked it all out.
“It was interesting that the team flew in and we had a number of sessions and they would fly back and do their magic, and then they would come back here a couple months later and show me what they had, which was always amazing to see what they came up with.”
There's no denying Elden Ring is an amazing game. The near-perfect scores and numerous accolades speak to that. And while the game's story isn't through traditional means, there is some incredible lore to uncover while you play. While it may not be apparent to everyone who plays, there is some incredibly rich storytelling beneath the surface of the game, especially if you take the time to uncover its many secrets. Whether or not that could successfully translate to the big screen is the question.
While fans await official news on an Elden Ring movie, FromSoftware has actually announced a follow-up game, Elden Ring: Nightreign. Releasing in May, Elden Ring: Nightreign is a spin-off of sorts to Elden Ring, a condensed action RPG with a heavy focus on co-op multiplayer gameplay.