The highly anticipated Elden Ring feature film has taken a major step toward reality. Sources close to the production have confirmed that director Alex Garland (Ex Machina, Annihilation, Civil War) has completed the first draft of the screenplay, marking the transition from development into active pre-production. The project, which has been shrouded in secrecy since its announcement earlier this month, is now moving forward with tangible momentum.
Garland's script, which runs approximately 130 pages according to insiders, is reported to adapt the core narrative of Elden Ring while making necessary structural changes for the cinematic medium. Rather than attempting to replicate the game's open-world structure, Garland has reportedly focused on the Tarnished's journey from newcomer to Elden Lord, weaving the lore of Marika, the Shattering, and the demigods into a cohesive three-act structure. Early reactions from test readers describe the script as "hauntingly beautiful" and "unexpectedly personal in its exploration of duty and sacrifice."
Perhaps the most crucial element of the adaptation's credibility is the involvement of Hidetaka Miyazaki, FromSoftware's president and the visionary behind Elden Ring itself. Miyazaki is serving as creative consultant on the project, a role that Garland has described as "essential to preserving the soul of the work." The two creators have held multiple intensive story conferences over the past four months, with Miyazaki providing detailed notes on the thematic weight of key scenes and the philosophical underpinnings of the game's world.
"Working with Miyazaki-san has been a masterclass in the art of world-building," Garland said in a statement provided to Empire Magazine. "He doesn't just explain what happens in the story — he explains why it matters, and what it says about the human condition. Every conversation leaves me with the feeling that we're building something truly special."
On the casting front, Saoirse Ronan and Paul Mescal are both in final negotiations for the lead roles of Queen Marika and the Tarnished, respectively. Ronan's portrayal of Marika is expected to require the actress to embody both the character's divine majesty and the fractured vulnerability that defines her role in the game's mythology. Mescal, fresh off his critically acclaimed performance in Gladiator II, has been quietly training with a combat choreography team that includes veterans of the John Wick franchise. Multiple rounds of chemistry readings between the two actors have reportedly convinced Garland and the producers that they have found their leads.
Production infrastructure is already taking shape. Location scouts have identified primary shooting sites across Scotland, Iceland, and the Carpathian Mountains of Romania — each chosen to represent a different region of the Lands Between. Pinewood Studios has reserved soundstage capacity beginning in January 2027 for interior and green-screen work, with principal photography tentatively scheduled for an eight-week window from February through March 2027. The film is being co-financed by A24 and Kadokawa Corporation, with a projected budget of approximately $120 million — modest by blockbuster standards but generous for an A24 production.
Fan reaction to the production update has been overwhelmingly positive, though not without measured skepticism. The Elden Ring subreddit has seen a flurry of discussion, with many fans expressing cautious optimism about Garland's involvement while voicing concerns about compressing the game's dense lore into a two-hour runtime. A community poll on ResetEra found that 68% of respondents are "excited but cautious" about the adaptation, while 22% are "fully confident" and 10% remain skeptical.
"If anyone can pull this off, it's Garland," wrote one popular commenter on the Elden Ring subreddit. "But I'd rather they take their time and get it right than rush to meet some studio deadline. This world deserves a movie as layered and mysterious as the game itself."
With a theatrical release window projected for late 2028, the Elden Ring movie still has a long road ahead. But with a completed script, A-list casting, Miyazaki's creative blessing, and a production team of this caliber, the path to the Lands Between has never looked clearer.