Fans worried that the live-action Elden Ring movie would be a small, low-budget take on FromSoftware's massive action RPG can probably relax. According to a new report, A24 is spending close to $200 million on the adaptation, making it the studio's most expensive project ever.
The figure comes from a report on A24's growth by The Wall Street Journal, which says the film "costs nearly $200 million, according to people familiar with the matter." A24 has not confirmed the budget publicly.
Why The Elden Ring Budget Matters
A24 has built its reputation on smaller films, and its spending has usually stayed well below what big Hollywood studios pay for blockbusters. Its previous most expensive movie, Marty Supreme, cost around $70 million, and before that, Civil War held the record at roughly $50 million.
Nearly $200 million puts Elden Ring in the same range as major franchise films, and for fans of the game, that is good news. Recreating the Lands Between means bringing towering bosses, sprawling castles and plenty of grotesque creatures to the screen, and that kind of scale does not come cheap.
The film is also being shot for IMAX, according to Bandai Namco Entertainment, which co-announced the project with A24. That should help capture the sense of size that makes exploring the game's open world so memorable.
Who Is Making The Elden Ring Movie
The movie is being written and directed by Alex Garland, the filmmaker behind Ex Machina, Annihilation and Civil War. Garland also has a history with video games, having co-written Enslaved: Odyssey to the West for Ninja Theory and worked on the story for DmC: Devil May Cry. His films have a moody, slow-burn style that fits well with the atmosphere of FromSoftware's games.
The cast includes Kit Connor, Ben Whishaw, Cailee Spaeny, Tom Burke, Havana Rose Liu, Sonoya Mizuno, Jonathan Pryce, Ruby Cruz, Nick Offerman, John Hodgkinson, Jefferson Hall, Emma Laird and Peter Serafinowicz. No roles have been announced yet, so it is still a mystery who will play the Tarnished, and which demigods like Malenia, Radahn or Godrick will show up.
From Game Of The Year To The Big Screen
Elden Ring launched in 2022 and quickly became one of the biggest games of its generation. It was created under the guidance of FromSoftware's Hidetaka Miyazaki, with a mythological backstory written by George R.R. Martin, and has now sold more than 30 million copies worldwide.
The game won Game of the Year at The Game Awards and later got the critically acclaimed Shadow of the Erdtree expansion, along with the co-op spinoff Elden Ring Nightreign. Its reputation for punishing difficulty and cryptic storytelling made it a surprising choice for a film adaptation, but the success of shows like The Last of Us and Fallout has shown that games with dense worlds can translate well to the screen.
One of the biggest questions is how Garland will handle the story. Much of the game's lore is hidden in item descriptions and environmental details, so there is plenty of room for the movie to build its own narrative while still pulling in iconic locations and characters.
A Busy Time For Video Game Movies
Elden Ring is far from the only big game adaptation on the way. 2028 is also set to bring a Helldivers movie from Sony Pictures and a Call of Duty film from Paramount, while the Super Mario Bros. and Sonic the Hedgehog series continue to bring in big numbers at the box office.
With A24's backing, an IMAX release and a nearly $200 million budget, Elden Ring is shaping up to be one of the most ambitious entries in that wave.
Elden Ring arrives in theaters on March 3, 2028.
Which Elden Ring boss would you most want to see on the big screen, Malenia or Radahn?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.