Elden Ring Film Begins Shooting in UK with Kit Connor and Ben Whishaw
The highly anticipated live-action film adaptation of the critically acclaimed video game Elden Ring has begun principal photography across England and Scotland, with a star-studded British cast led by Kit Connor and Ben Whishaw in what is shaping up to be one of the most ambitious video game adaptations ever attempted.
Directed by Alex Garland and produced by A24 and DNA Films in partnership with Bandai Namco Filmworks, the production carries a reported budget exceeding $100 million and is scheduled for release on 3 March 2028. Filming is also planned for Iceland during the summer months, with the production drawing on some of the most dramatic natural landscapes in the northern hemisphere to bring the game's dark fantasy world to life.
Background
Elden Ring, developed by FromSoftware and published by Bandai Namco, was released in February 2022 and became a global phenomenon, winning numerous Game of the Year awards and selling over 25 million copies worldwide. The game is set in a vast, dark fantasy world called the Lands Between, with lore co-created by game director Hidetaka Miyazaki and fantasy novelist George R.R. Martin. It is known for its challenging gameplay, breathtaking open world, and deliberately fragmented narrative — delivered not through linear cutscenes but through cryptic dialogue, environmental clues, and item descriptions — which has inspired a devoted community of players to piece together its complex mythology.
Adapting this material for the screen presents significant creative challenges. The game's lore involves a cosmic entity known as the Greater Will, the demigod children of Queen Marika the Eternal, and a cataclysmic war called the Shattering that shattered the Elden Ring itself. Translating this dense, interpretive storytelling into a coherent two-to-three-hour film requires bold creative choices, and the selection of Alex Garland as writer and director is the clearest signal of the film's intended tone.
Garland is not a conventional blockbuster filmmaker. His career is defined by a commitment to speculative fiction that is intellectually rigorous and psychologically intense — from the claustrophobic AI thriller Ex Machina to the surreal eco-horror Annihilation and the provocative social commentary of Civil War. He also has direct experience with video game storytelling, having worked as co-writer on Enslaved: Odyssey to the West. His directorial style, marked by morally ambiguous protagonists and philosophical inquiry into consciousness and power, seems uniquely suited to Elden Ring's themes.
Key Developments
Kit Connor, who rose to international prominence in the Netflix series Heartstopper and previously collaborated with Garland on the 2025 film Warfare, is expected to play the lead role — likely a Tarnished hero figure drawn from the game's lore. Ben Whishaw, celebrated for his work as Q in the James Bond series and as the voice of Paddington Bear, brings quiet gravitas to a supporting role, with speculation pointing to the scholarly sorcerer Rogier. Cailee Spaeny, who starred in Garland's Civil War, is widely tipped to portray Melina, the ethereal Kindling Maiden who guides the player through the game. The supporting cast also includes Nick Offerman, Tom Burke, Jonathan Pryce, and Peter Serafinowicz, among others.
The involvement of A24 is a critical factor shaping expectations. Since its founding in 2012, the studio has cultivated a brand identity synonymous with artistic integrity and director-driven vision, backing films including Moonlight, Everything Everywhere All at Once, Ex Machina, and Hereditary. The A24 imprimatur suggests the Elden Ring adaptation will be far from a generic fantasy blockbuster, with the studio's backing implying a commitment to Garland's unique vision and thematic depth over simple spectacle. The UK film and high-end television sector generated a combined production spend of £6.8 billion in 2025, with feature films alone accounting for a record £2.8 billion, and the Elden Ring production is a significant contributor to that figure.
Why It Matters
The Elden Ring production is a significant vote of confidence in the UK's film industry and its world-class skilled workforce. It also reflects the growing importance of video game adaptations as a major source of content for streaming platforms and cinemas — a trend accelerated by the success of The Last of Us on HBO and the Super Mario Bros. film — and one that shows no signs of slowing. For the gaming community, the film represents a genuine attempt to treat a beloved property with artistic seriousness rather than as a commercial exercise, and the creative team assembled inspires real confidence that the result could break the long-standing "video game movie curse."
Local Impact
For the UK film industry, the Elden Ring production is part of a broader boom in inward investment that has seen international productions contribute £5.8 billion — 85% of total sector spend — in 2025 alone. Productions are drawn to the UK by attractive government tax relief schemes offering a payable cash rebate of up to 25%, world-class studio facilities, and a deep pool of skilled crew. The filming locations in Scotland will bring significant economic benefits to the regions involved, boosting local employment, hospitality, and tourism. The UK's ability to attract productions of this scale and prestige is a direct result of sustained investment in the sector, and it is a competitive advantage that the government is rightly keen to protect and build upon.
What's Next
Production is expected to continue through the summer, with Iceland filming adding to the locations already completed in England and Scotland. Post-production work is likely to take the project through to late 2027 ahead of its March 2028 release. The film will be one of the most eagerly anticipated releases of that year, with the gaming community and film enthusiasts alike watching its development closely. More from Screen Daily. A24 Films official page.
