Summary
It’s still early days for Alex Garland’s film adaptation ofElden Ring. That being said, the production team might’ve already found its lead star.
Earlier this month, it came out that after years of rumors, anElden Ringfilm adaptation was officially on the way. Surprisingly, Bandai Namco is teaming with independent film titan A24 of all companies to bring the game to the big screen. Even more shocking was that writer/director Alex Garland had been brought on board to write and direct the film. Garland has become a major player in Hollywood circles over the past two decades since bursting onto the scene with the screenplay for 2002’s28 Days Later. In the years since, Garland has written and directed critically acclaimed films likeEx Machina,Annihilation, andCivil Warwhile alsoapparently finding time to play a whole lot ofElden Ringin the process. George R. R. Martin is also co-producing the film after working on the worldbuilding of the video game’s setting.
Deadlineis reporting that Garland is looking to reunite withWarfarestar Kit Connor and would like to bring the young actor on boardElden Ring. While it is clear these talks are in very early stages, it’s unsurprising that Garland would want to bring a familiar face onto what is surely going to be the biggest film of his career thus far.Deadline’s Justin Kroll also stated"[s]ources stress several factors still need to be worked out, including scheduling," but that “both Garland and Connor want this to happen.”
Bringing Kit Connor In To Star InElden RingMakes A Ton Of Sense For Alex Garland And A24
Although Kit Connor’s breakout role didn’t come until 2022’sHeartstopper, the young English actor is no stranger to big-budget productions. He’s appeared in genuine blockbuster fare likeReady Player OneandRocketman, has headlined an animated feature inThe Wild Robot, and recently starred in a harrowing action-thriller inWarfare. Throw in his work on HBO’sHis Dark Materialsseries as well as his headlining Broadway gig as Romeo inRomeo + Juliet,and you’ve got a well-rounded, talented actor whose star is clearly still on the rise.
Elden Ringis also seemingly going to beA24’s biggest productionin the company’s relatively short history. Founded in 2012, A24 originally was a distribution house, first stepping into film production with 2016’sMoonlight. Considering how well that venture went for the fledgling company, it made sense to continue producing more and more films over the years. While A24 has produced numerous hit films likeHereditary,Lady Bird, andThe Iron Claw, only one of their in-house productions has reached the lofty $100 million mark at the international box office:Everything Everywhere All at Once. Given that theElden Ringvideo game has sold over 30 million copies since its release in January 2022, it seems obvious that A24 will be swinging for the fences with this one.
One way to keep production costs low is to bring a non-A-list star in for the lead role. With all due respect to the talented young man,Kit Connoris certainly not a top-tier actor yet. Though a deal could fall through, fans should be excited at the prospect of Connor joining the cast, as it means A24 and Garland are taking the production of a qualityElden Ringfilm seriously.
