Garland’s Elden Ring Film Eyes Epic Fantasy Battle

Which director would you choose to helm an Elden Ring film adaptation?

Fantasy veterans like Peter Jackson or Guillermo del Toro might seem like safe choices, while Miguel Sapochnik—known for directing Game of Thrones' most intense battles—could deliver breathtaking action sequences. For a more unconventional approach, visionary directors like Robert Eggers, Yorgos Lanthimos, or Bong Joon Ho could mirror FromSoftware's love for surreal, cryptic storytelling.

Alex Garland wouldn’t be most people’s first pick. The British filmmaker is celebrated for cerebral sci-fi like Ex Machina and Annihilation, as well as the war dramas Civil War and Warfare—works markedly different from FromSoftware’s cryptic RPGs. Yet A24 has tapped Garland to direct Elden Ring’s big-screen adaptation, raising intriguing questions about how he might interpret Miyazaki’s masterpiece.

Garland’s pairing with Elden Ring feels unexpected at first glance. Though skilled in sci-fi, he lacks direct fantasy experience—an already challenging genre made tougher by video game adaptations. His narrative-driven style also contrasts with FromSoftware’s environmental storytelling. While Ex Machina and Annihilation rely on dialogue and character development, Soulsborne games communicate lore through subtle details—an approach Civil War was criticized for lacking.

Yet Garland’s history of genre reinvention suggests he might surprise us. His filmography spans everything from psychological thrillers to brutal war films, proving his versatility. Who’s to say he can’t craft something remarkable within Elden Ring’s dark fantasy world?

Interestingly, Garland brings unexpected gaming knowledge to the project. Few realize he’s an avid gamer—Resident Evil inspired elements of 28 Days Later, and The Beach even contains a scene Polygon jokingly called "the closest we'll get" to a Banjo-Kazooie movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio.

The tension-filled Warfare captures sensations familiar to Elden Ring players: feeling outnumbered, overpowered, and desperately clinging to survival.

Unlike filmmakers who superficially engage with source material, Garland genuinely understands gaming’s narrative power. He’s praised Dark Souls’ "embedded poetry," describing encounters with broken NPCs as drifting through "an existential dream." This deep appreciation positions him uniquely to adapt FromSoftware’s signature atmosphere.

Garland could channel Annihilation’s hallucinatory visuals to capture Elden Ring’s dreamlike quality. Yet Warfare’s relentless tension might prove equally effective—watching its combat sequences evokes the same adrenaline-fueled dread as facing Elden Ring’s toughest bosses.

Imagine translating Warfare’s urban battlefields into Elden Ring’s ruined landscapes. Such an approach wouldn’t recreate the game’s sprawling lore but rather simulate the player’s visceral experience—the desperate struggle between Sites of Grace, where survival eclipses all higher ambitions.

Reports suggest Garland wants Warfare actor Kit Connor for Elden Ring’s lead, hinting at a similarly tense, psychologically gripping tone. Following Warfare’s template could play to Garland’s strengths while emulating HBO’s The Last of Us—a rare adaptation that succeeded by understanding its source material’s core appeal.

Elden Ring subverts typical power fantasies, instead portraying vulnerability through countless deaths and hard-won victories. For Garland’s adaptation to resonate, it must capture this essence—something Warfare’s visceral combat sequences suggest he’s fully capable of achieving.