Gears of War movie director David Leitch said he feels optimistic that the film is “going to happen” after months without an update for fans.
The filmmaker, who is best known for his work on projects like Bullet Train and The Fall Guy, offered an update on the long-in-development video game adaptation during a conversation with Collider. While a movie starring characters like Marcus Phoenix and Dom Santiago is still trying to pull itself together, it sounds like it’s something fans can still look forward to… eventually.
“Gears of War, I think, is going to happen,” Leitch said. “We have a great draft that’s in progress that’s in really great shape. The studio’s more determined than ever to make it.”
The director added that “Netflix is 100% behind it,” signaling that, while much of the Gears of War movie has come together behind the scenes, there is still a real effort to bring it to movie fans. Meanwhile, Leitch said that series developer The Coalition “is fired up, as well.” That team is currently hard at work on Gears of War: E-Day, which is set to receive a dedicated Direct presentation this June.
“They have their game releasing this year, as well, and so it’s all lining up that that movie will happen,” Leitch added.
The history of Microsoft’s efforts to get a Gears of War movie moving is long and without many substantial updates. Efforts to bring the bleak sci-fi series to moviegoers began in the mid-2000s but eventually withered in the years that followed. That is, until Battleship’s Scott Suber boarded the project in 2013, only for it to die and then return in 2016 with confirmation from Universal in 2016.
The Complete Gears of War Timeline (So Far)
A similar string of updates followed until 2022, when Netflix announced it would be working with The Coalition on not only a Gears of War film but an adult animated series, too. We now know Leitch has boarded as director, with Dune and Doctor Strange scribe Jon Spaihts reportedly joining in 2023.
While there haven’t been any updates on that animated spinoff, the Gears of War movie looks more promising than ever. Guardians of the Galaxy veteran Dave Bautista has been gunning for a part in the project since at least 2018, but there have been no official casting updates yet.
Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).