We finally have the first details on the upcoming Gears of War film, which may not directly adapt the games.
In a new article from Entertainment Weekly, Xbox executives dove deep on the future of the company, which includes big plans for adaptations. A Gears of War film directed by David Leitch (John Wick, The Fall Guy) is among those plans, but fans have been wondering what it might look like. According to an official description provided by EW, the film will tell “the origin story of Delta Squad, a ragtag crew of soldiers who wage a desperate war for survival against the Locust, a race of subterranean creatures set on destroying humanity.”
Xbox’s executive vice president and chief content officer Matt Booty noted to EW that the themes of the game make it a natural fit for a feature film.
“The game really is about the bonds between teams. It’s about brotherhood at its core,” said Booty. “When you go visit the studio, their tagline is ‘Never Fight Alone.’ So when you think about that for a dramatic narrative, it’s a pretty good starting point.”
It seems like the film may take place between the upcoming game, Gears of War: E-Day, and the first Gears of War game, assuming that we’re seeing the true formation of Delta Squad. It’s possible Marcus Fenix won’t even be in the film since he was in prison before joining up with Delta Squad in the first game. However, if it’s the origins of the Delta Squad fans are most familiar with, it may just be a direct adapation of Gears of War 1. The description is a bit vague, so we’ll just have to wait and see.
A Gears of War film has been in various stages of development since 2007, with different directors and studios attempting to bring Xbox’s gritty shooter to life. Several years ago, Netflix landed the rights to the Gears IP, setting to work on making a movie happen while also producing an animated Gears of War series, but little is known about that project at the moment.
Earlier this year, David Leitch noted that the Gears of War film was making great progress behind the scenes with a new draft of the script actively in development. Currently, the film has no release date, but Leitch stated that Netflix was “100% behind it” and everyone seems determined to make it a reality.
Cade Onder is a freelancer for IGN’s news team. He covers all things entertainment, including gaming, film, and more. You can find him on Twitter @Cade_Onder.
