If you grabbed any director for an Elden Ring flick, who’d be on your list? Maybe you’d think of the big fantasy dudes like Peter Jackson or Guillermo del Toro. Or you might go for Miguel Sapochnik, the guy behind some of those wild Game of Thrones battles. Feeling edgy? How about Robert Eggers or Yorgos Lanthimos? They dive deep into the strange and mysterious, much like those FromSoftware games we all get lost in.
But hey, you’d probably skip Alex Garland, right? He’s got those moody sci-fi vibes from Ex Machina and Annihilation, which feel miles away from the chaotic energy of Elden Ring. Yet, surprise surprise, A24 roped him in for the movie. Garland’s tackling both the screenplay and the directing, so now we’re all just scratching our heads, wondering what on earth he’s gonna do with it.
At first glance, Garland and Elden Ring seem as mismatched as peanut butter and pickles. He’s all about that sci-fi life, but not fantasy. And honestly, adapting video games into films? It’s a whole can of worms. His movies love dialogue and deep plots, while FromSoftware games drip-feed lore through cryptic messages. Still, his past work shows he’s not afraid to pivot and try something new. Reinvention seems to be his thing.
Here’s a twist: Garland’s a gaming fan. Yep, he’s got some hidden gamer cred. The spooky vibe in 28 Days Later? Apparently sparked by his Resident Evil sessions. Plus, The Beach has a scene that’s like a kooky game moment, almost like DiCaprio stumbled into a Banjo-Kazooie jungle. Weird, right?
Anyway, he’s sincere about his love for games like Dark Souls. Back in a 2020 interview, he described them as poetic, like wandering into a dreamy nightmare. That kind of vibe might just work for Elden Ring. Garland could totally pull an Annihilation — go all trippy visual feast. But, I’m thinking, wouldn’t it be cooler if he approached it like Warfare? That film had all the gritty, nail-biting tension, making you feel surrounded, scared, and way over your head. Just swap the war scenes for Elden Ring’s haunting landscapes, and you’ve got yourself a unique adaptation.
Plus, if Kit Connor from Warfare comes on board, we might get that same edge-of-your-seat tension. Garland loves digging into human psychology with action scenes that hit hard. It could follow the lead of HBO’s The Last of Us by capturing what makes the game’s world tick.
In the end, Elden Ring isn’t about easy wins and flashy victories. It’s about sticking it out through countless failures, a raw fight against overwhelming odds. Garland might just turn this into something unforgettable if he taps into that relentless, bittersweet struggle. Can’t wait to see how it all unfolds when it hits the big screen.
Oh, and I guess I should mention I’m Tim Brinkhof, a writer who’s all about art and history. After some time at NYU, I’ve written for folks like Vox, Vulture, and GQ. Fun times.
