A24 bets nearly $200 million on Elden Ring movie

A24 is reportedly spending nearly $200 million on its Elden Ring film, according to a Wall Street Journal report relayed on October 24 by Insider Gaming, making it the studio’s costliest production ahead of a March 2028 IMAX release.

TL;DR

• The reported budget is nearly $200 million, almost three times A24’s previous high.
• The film opens in IMAX on March 3, 2028, with UK cinemas on the same date.
• Filming started near London with a heavily British cast.
• Fans are excited, but some worry a two-hour film can’t hold the game’s world.

Reported budget: nearly $200 million
Source: Wall Street Journal,

Previous A24 high: about $70 million (Marty Supreme)

Release date: March 3, 2028

Why the Elden Ring budget matters

The figure comes from unnamed sources rather than an A24 statement. It has also climbed fast. In April, Video Games Chronicle reported that The Hollywood Reporter put the budget “well over” $100 million.

Marty Supreme grossed about $191 million against a $70 million budget, according to ComicBook.com. That makes Elden Ring close to three times the studio’s old ceiling.

A common rule of thumb says a film needs roughly two and a half times its budget to break even, according to AceShowbiz. On that maths, a $200 million film would need about $500 million at the box office.

Who is behind the film

Writer and director Alex Garland previously made Ex Machina, Annihilation and Civil War. He is also a longtime gamer who pitched the adaptation to Bandai Namco and FromSoftware, according to MobileSyrup.

Author George R.R. Martin is among the producers. He contributed backstory and world-building to the original game alongside creator Hidetaka Miyazaki, according to Video Games Chronicle.

Principal photography is expected to run around 100 days, according to Gamereactor, which cited The Hollywood Reporter.

UK cast, filming and cinema date

Production began in the UK in April, with filming at a location just outside London, according to Video Games Chronicle. British talent fills the cast, including actor Ben Whishaw, Tom Burke, Jonathan Pryce, Peter Serafinowicz and Kit Connor.

The film reaches UK cinemas on March 3, 2028, according to Film Stories. A BBFC rating has not yet been reported.

The film joins a busy run of fantasy and game-based projects. Greta Gerwig’s Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew opens in cinemas on February 12, 2027. Prime Video’s Fallout Shelter: The Experiment arrives on January 13, 2027.

How fans are reacting

A Digg roundup of social posts shows fans sharing surprise at the number, plus memes and excitement about a potential hit. The game has sold in excess of 30 million copies, according to KitGuru. It reportedly reached 36.4 million copies and about $2 billion in revenue.

Others worry about scale. KinoCheck argued that a film cannot match the roughly 100 hours players spend in the game.

No synopsis has been released, according to Cineserie. How Garland condenses the Lands Between into one film is the open question behind A24’s biggest gamble.

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Reported from publicly available interviews and verified press sources. Last reviewed October 25, 2026.