A24's highly anticipated adaptation of Elden Ring is shaping up to be a record-breaking production for the indie studio, with a reported budget in the same ballpark as some of Hollywood's biggest blockbusters.
Founded in 2012 by Daniel Katz, David Fenkel, and John Hodges, A24 initially focused on film distribution before establishing itself as a major player in independent and art-house cinema, releasing movies such as The Bling Ring and The Witch. It has since scored major successes with Oscar-winning titles like Moonlight and Everything Everywhere All at Once.
According to The Wall Street Journal (via SFFGazette.com), sources familiar with the production have confirmed that Elden Ring has a budget of "nearly $200 million." If accurate, that would make the fantasy epic A24's most expensive movie to date, putting its production costs in line with those of major studio blockbusters such as Marvel Studios' Spider-Man: No Way Home.
A24's previous record-holder was Marty Supreme, the Timothée Chalamet-led sports drama reportedly made for approximately $70 million.
A production costing nearly $200 million would be an extraordinary investment for A24 and a clear indication that the studio is banking on its adaptation of FromSoftware's acclaimed fantasy game being a huge box office hit. It's also a massive gamble at a time when even the biggest blockbusters run the risk of falling flat with audiences.
The video games are hugely popular, but the same could be said for World of Warcraft. However, in 2016, the Warcraft movie only managed to gross $439.1 million worldwide.
This is such a passion project for filmmaker Alex Garland that we've heard the filmmaker penned an "epic" 160-page draft, with 40 additional pages of imagery, as a spec script before flying to Japan to pitch FromSoftware in person. It wasn't long after that he received the green light.
Created under the guidance of FromSoftware's Hidetaka Miyazaki and based on a mythological story written by George R. R. Martin, Elden Ring debuted in 2022.
The game allows players to explore vast environments and dungeons to discover the unknown and enjoy the sense of accomplishment that comes from overcoming obstacles and challenges. The dark fantasy action RPG has surpassed 30 million copies sold worldwide.
Elden Ring stars Kit Connor (Warfare), Ben Whishaw (Skyfall), Cailee Spaeny (Alien: Romulus), Tom Burke (Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga), Havana Rose Liu (Bottoms), Sonoya Mizuno (Ex Machina), Jonathan Pryce (The Two Popes), Ruby Cruz (Willow), Nick Offerman (The Last of Us).
Also appearing in the movie are John Hodgkinson (Napoleon), Jefferson Hall (House of the Dragon), Emma Laird (28 Years Later), and Peter Serafinowicz (Star Wars: The Phantom Menace).
Written and directed by Alex Garland, Elden Ring will be filmed for IMAX and released in theaters on March 3, 2028.