We've seen countless video games adapted into films over the last several years, and some of them have even been pretty good. But one project has been in development hell for years, a movie based on the sci-fi action franchise Gears of War. But now it looks like a movie may finally be happening as Dune screenwriter Jon Spaihts has been tapped by Netflix to write it. Now, the movie needs a lead, so somebody call Dave Bautista.
There have been attempts to make Gears of War for the screen for years, and Dave Bautista has made no secret of the fact that he wants the role. Back when Universal had the rights to the IP Bautista revealed he had talked to them specifically about being involved, but could make no headway. Assuming he still wants the role, I honestly can't think of anybody better suited for the part. Some people seem to think Dwayne Johnson should lead a Gears of War movie, but those people are nuts and cannot be trusted.
There's the obvious fact that the lead character of the Gears of War franchise, Marcus Fenix, is built like a brick wall, and most actual humans don't look like that. Dave Bautista does. There's a reasonable physical resemblance between the two that makes Bautista an obvious choice when it comes to simply casting somebody who resembles the character, which isn't the most important thing in an adaptation but doesn't hurt.
But on top of that, there's the fact that Dave Bautista has proven his skills as an actor, and could bring something more to a Gears of War movie than simply action. While the focus of the games is combat, there is a deeper character story in the games as well, and that's something that could be made more significant in a film adaptation.
Gears of War follows a group of soldiers after humanity has colonized an alien world, only to discover that a hostile alien race is living beneath the surface. Marcus Fenix is the leader of the Delta Squad, fighting against the alien threat.
Obviously, it's going to be a while before we ever get around to getting casting news for a Gears of War movie. The script is only just getting underway and casting won't get locked in until plans for shooting the movie actually start. It will probably be at least a year before we're there, and that assumes the script doesn't need to get thrown out and started over, which can happen.
And there's even the possibility that the script process will stall and the Gears of War movie will go back into development hell. However, this is the most hopeful news that fans have seen in a long time. It looks like this movie will finally happen. Hopefully, it will also have the right lead.
