Peter Serafinowicz, the voice behind Mild-Mannered Pate in Dark Souls II and the actor responsible for many of the male player characters' death screams and exertion grunts throughout several of FromSoftware's Souls titles, still can't believe his good fortune after landing a role in the upcoming live-action Elden Ring film.
While speaking on Russell Howard's Five Brilliant Things Podcast, Serafinowicz noted that while his voice work has become a familiar part of the studio's iconic soundscape, he also has deep admiration for the Dark Souls series as a gamer.
Touching on the fact that most Souls games have an initial, steep learning curve, Serafinowicz explained that once you get past that hurdle, the games become something else, entirely.
"Once that clicks, it's like, oh my god, this is the game I've been waiting for my whole life. It teaches you that no obstacle is insurmountable. And it's just the most satisfying game that I've ever played. And there's a thing about all these games, once you play them and if they click for you, you don't want to play any other game. And I just haven't.”
The Shaun of the Dead star and voice of Darth Maul in Episode 1, then went on to recount how a chance run-in with Alex Garland at a talent agency eventually led to him joining the cast of Garland's upcoming live-action Elden Ring movie.
Garland and Serafinowicz randomly bumped into one another while waiting in a reception lobby and started chatting about their love for Dark Souls. “[Garland] had to go into a meeting and I left my phone number at reception. I said, ‘Could you give this to Alex Garland when he comes out? It was like a sort of date, you know," recalled Serafinowicz.
"And so we became friends. Anyway, fast forward to now, Alex is currently directing Elden Ring the movie, and I'm in it! I'm in it! I just can't believe my luck. I just can't believe that, that it's like, wow, dude. Wow, man!”
Serafinowicz's role in the Elden Ring movie has not been revealed just yet but there's heavy fan speculation that he's voicing the Loathsome Dung Eater.
The Elden Ring film is being written and directed by Alex Garland, with game creator Hidetaka Miyazaki helping guide the project alongside story contributions from George R.R. Martin. The film is currently in production for IMAX and is slated to hit theaters on March 3, 2028.
Confirmed cast members include:
- Kit Connor (Heartstopper)
- Cailee Spaeny (Alien: Romulus, Civil War)
- Ben Whishaw (Paddington, Skyfall)
- Nick Offerman (The Last of Us)
- Tom Burke (Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga)
- Havana Rose Liu (Bottoms)
- Sonoya Mizuno (Ex Machina, House of the Dragon)
- Jonathan Pryce (The Crown, The Two Popes)
- Ruby Cruz (Willow)
- Jefferson Hall (House of the Dragon)
- Emma Laird (28 Years Later)
- John Hodgkinson (Dear England)
- Peter Serafinowicz (Soulsborne video game series)
According to The Insneider, the Elden Ring movie is going to be one of A24's most expensive films to date, as the indie studio looks to complete a transformation from boutique indie label to a serious mid-tier player in the film industry.
The Elden Ring video game weaves a haunting, mythic narrative set in the Lands Between. This once-prosperous realm was blessed by the Elden Ring and the Erdtree, both instruments of the Greater Will’s divine order.
But after a mysterious event known as The Shattering, the Ring was broken, plunging the world into chaos. Demigods, children of Queen Marika, clash over the scattered Great Runes, while exiled Tarnished are called back to restore order and claim the mantle of Elden Lord.