Official: Alex Garland shoots the "Elden Ring" film for A24

It's finally official: "Civil War" director Alex Garland is shooting an epic "Elden Ring" movie for A24!

As Deadline reports, Garland will not only direct, but also write the screenplay. A number of prominent producers are also involved in the project, including "Game of Thrones" author George R. R. Martin, who was already involved in the original game. This ensures a creative link between the game and the film.

Released in 2022, 'Elden Ring' was celebrated by critics and fans alike and is one of the most important action role-playing games of recent years. Developed by FromSoftware under the direction of Hidetaka Miyazaki, the game takes us into a gloomy dark fantasy world full of huge environments, mystical dungeons and challenging battles. The story is based on a draft by George R. R. Martin – there are certain parallels to "Game of Thrones".

While the film is still in the early stages of development, the next big highlight is already on the horizon: "Elden Ring: Nightreign". The spin-off is due to be released worldwide on Friday, May 30. It remains to be seen whether the upcoming film will build on the events of this spin-off or reinterpret the original story. A start date has yet to be set.

Alex Garland: Visionary of modern genre cinema – A journey through his cinematic work up to "Warfare"

Over the last ten years, Alex Garland has established himself as one of the most distinctive directors and screenwriters of contemporary genre cinema. Known for his intelligent, often dark approach to science fiction, horror and war drama, Garland creates films that are characterized by psychological depth, stylistic precision and philosophical questioning. With his latest work "Warfare" (2025), he continues his artistic development and once again proves his versatility.

Early career and literary roots

Before Garland entered the film business, he made a name for himself as an author. His debut novel "The Beach" (1996) became a bestseller and was made into a film in 2000 starring Leonardo DiCaprio. This literary sensibility for complex characters and existential themes also characterizes his later films.

His first step as a screenwriter came with Danny Boyle's sci-fi film "28 Days Later" (2002), a style-defining contribution to the zombie genre. Garland also showed his talent for philosophically charged material in the subsequent "Sunshine" (2007), an existential space journey.

Breakthrough as a director: Ex Machina (2014)

Garland made his directorial debut in 2014 with "Ex Machina" – and immediately became a critics' darling. The minimalist but highly suspenseful film about artificial intelligence, power and consciousness earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay and an Oscar for Best Visual Effects. The story of a young programmer who is tasked with testing a humanoid AI has become a modern classic of sci-fi cinema.

Annihilation (2018): Between science fiction and horror

Garland's next project, "Annihilation", is based on the novel of the same name by Jeff VanderMeer. The film follows a group of female scientists who enter a mysterious zone where nature seems to follow its own laws. Although "Extinction" was produced by Paramount and released internationally via Netflix, the film bears Garland's unmistakable signature: visually stunning, intellectually challenging and psychologically disturbing.

Men (2022): Symbolic horror

With "Men", Garland turned increasingly to psychological and symbolic horror. The story of a woman who travels to a remote village after the death of her husband turned out to be a complex examination of patriarchal structures and feelings of guilt. The film divided audiences, but was praised for its stylistic courage and atmospheric density.

Civil War (2024): Political dystopia

In "Civil War", Garland painted a bleak picture of a disintegrating United States in which civil war has broken out. The film, again under the A24 banner, combined political commentary with emotional drama and documentary aesthetics. The gripping narrative style and critical examination of Western democracies made "Civil War" one of the most talked-about films of 2024.

Warfare (2025): Realism in the war film

"Warfare", Garland's latest film, was made in collaboration with former Navy SEAL Ray Mendoza. The film deals with the war in Iraq from the perspective of soldiers on the front line and relies on ruthless realism without falling into heroization or simple judgments. Garland combines documentary style with his well-known visual strength, which gives the film a special intensity. Since its theatrical release, "Warfare" has already grossed over 32 million dollars – an impressive success for a comparatively small A24 project.

Conclusion: The stylist with substance

What unites Garland's work is not a specific genre, but a deep intellectual and emotional approach to his themes. Whether artificial intelligence, biological mutation, social division or the brutality of war – Garland always explores the border areas of humanity. With Warfare, he has definitively established himself as one of the most relevant filmmakers of his generation.