When thinking of big-budget blockbusters or massive fantasy epics, the New York-based production company A24 doesn’t immediately come to mind. Although the brand is well known, it’s also increasingly synonymous with independent features and character-driven work. Blockbuster spectacle isn’t widely seen as part of their wheelhouse, though films like The Green Knight, Everything Everywhere All at Once, and Civil War show they can handle bigger, more expensive movies while also delivering a compelling story and characters. While it was previously reported that their latest production with director Alex Garland broke a studio record as their most expensive movie to date, a new report has revealed that A24 is teaming up with Amazon for this ambitious production.
Following the Wall Street Journal’s report about the massive budget of Alex Garland’s adaptation of the video game Elden Ring, Deadline released a new exclusive report that not only confirmed the range of the budget (projecting that the movie would cost around $175–200 million) but also that international distribution has become a big talking point in the industry. The film’s scale and ambition have led Amazon MGM to take an interest in distributing Alex Garland’s Elden Ring film. The company’s international distribution deal would cover numerous markets, with sources in the original report speculating its worth tens of millions of dollars. Elden Ring’s presence at the American Film Market makes it the biggest-budget standalone project ever put up for sale on a film or television market.
Amazon is an interesting partner for A24, especially since the company has already famously acquired another high-profile fantasy IP in The Lord of the Rings. This would make them a natural fit for A24 in international distribution, and Deadline also specifically mentions Amazon’s past Twitch activations for marketing films as something A24 could use to market the movie. Given that the movie adapts a popular video game, marketing and collaboration with Amazon could be extremely beneficial for A24, which is undoubtedly eager to find a studio partner given the project’s massive budget.
Deadline has revealed plenty of exciting new details about Elden Ring, including how A24 has been incredibly secretive about the project, which is currently in post-production with Industrial Light & Magic and still due to meet its March 2028 release date. The script has been closely guarded, and potential buyers are allowed to read it only under supervision by studio representatives. Moreover, we now have some details about the project’s length: it’s reportedly a 180-page script with visuals, meaning Garland’s upcoming movie could run three hours or more.
Kit Connor, who recently got cast in Marvel Studios’ X-Men film, is the protagonist of Elden Ring, and the movie will focus on his journey, which is said to be “faithful” to the video game’s expansive lore. However, the film’s story is supposedly so secretive that certain portions of the screenplay are being held back to build intrigue and anticipation. Interestingly, footage may be shown at the American Film Market, which could help solidify buyer commitment and confidence in the massive production. Alex Garland has been very vocal about his love for Elden Ring and his deep understanding of the story, game mechanics, and the game’s creatures and monsters. As production continues to break records and set precedents for international deals and budgets, it’s hard not to feel excited about what is shaping up to be the biggest video game adaptation to date.
