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Cinemablend
Cinemablend
Entertainment
Hugh Scott

I Know Next To Nothing About Elden Ring, But There's A Big Reason Why I Won't Dismiss This Movie

Elden Ring box art footage.

I’m not the biggest gamer in the world, I’ll admit. I play a few games, to be sure, but I have my favorites, and I stick with them. Elden Ring has never been one of the favorites, and while not every video-game-adaption grabs my attention, the recent announcement that this game is going to be turned into a movie has. The reason is simple: Alex Garland has been attached to direct it. I’m excited to see what Garland can do in this genre.

(Image credit: Bandai Namco)

Elden Ring Isn’t My Thing

I’ve never played the hit created by Hidetaka Miyazaki, with the story coming from the mind of George R.R. Martin. I don’t know if I’d love it or hate it. I’d probably at least like it, because I’m a big fan of Martin’s books and Game of Thrones, so I’d like to think that would grab my attention. One of the few games I do play regularly is Assassin’s Creed (which is getting a new adaptation as well), and I could see myself getting into the historical nature of the fantasy story. Much like I did with Game of Thrones (and the books).

I’ve actually never played any of the hits from Elden Rings’ developer, FromSoftware. I’ve never played Dark Souls or Demon's Souls, for example. I don’t have any particular aversion to them; they’ve just never found their way into my, admittedly limited, game rotation. With that in mind, I’m seriously considering picking up a copy of Elden Ring to play while I patiently wait for Grand Theft Auto VI. And, of course, to familiarize myself with the game, because I’m definitely excited for the movie.

(Image credit: A24)

Alex Garland Rarely Does Anything Wrong In My Book

I’m an unabashed fan of Alex Garland. The writer and director has almost never made a misstep in my opinion. That goes all the way back to the novel that put him on the map, The Beach, which I first read in college. I loved the book, and while the movie adaptation starring Leonardo DiCaprio leaves a little to be desired, I don’t hate it. Garland shifted from novels to screenplays with a pair of films directed by Danny Boyle, 28 Days Later and Sunshine.

2012’s Dredd is one of my favorite comic book movies of all time, and one I really wish would eventually get a sequel (a pipe dream at this point). Garland wrote Dredd, and by some accounts, directed a lot of it, despite not getting official credit. His first credited director role came with the fantastic Ex Machina in 2014. Garland has been busy over the last couple of years, directing and writing Civil War in 2024, and co-directing Warfare last year, which was one of the most intense times I’ve ever had watching a movie. He also wrote both 28 Years Later and 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple.

It’s going to be a couple of years, as Elden Ring isn’t expected to be released until 2028, so there is plenty of time to build up the anticipation for Garland’s first dive into the video game genre.

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