Elden Ring Superfan Alex Garland Put Together a 160-Page Draft Script – With 40 Extra Pages of Images – to Convince Hidetaka Miyazaki to Let Him Direct the Movie

It sounds like Elden Ring movie director Alex Garland went the extra mile to convince FromSoftware chief Hidetaka Miyazaki to give his seal of approval to the adaptation.

The Ex Machina and Civil War director and self-confessed Elden Ring superfan is working on the Elden Ring movie for A24, with Game of Thrones author George R. R. Martin, who helped create the original Elden Ring, attached as a producer.

In a new report by the New Yorker, it was revealed that Garland completed an “epic” 160-page draft, with 40 additional pages of imagery, as a script on-spec, then flew to Japan to pitch the game’s “elusive” creator, Hidetaka Miyazaki. Obviously, that meeting went well.

Now, the Elden Ring movie is finally a reality, although we know next to nothing about it. But what we do know is Garland is an Elden Ring pro. In June, he told IGN he’s on his seventh playthrough of FromSoftware’s epic fantasy RPG, and revealed the boss he found the toughest to take down.

Speaking to IGN ahead of the release 28 Years Later — the zombie apocalypse film he wrote 23 years on from penning the first movie in the franchise — Garland revealed which of all of the famed foes in Elden Ring that he has settled on being the most difficult: Malenia, Blade of Miquella.

“It’s Malenia who’s the tough one”, Garland explained. “I’m now on my seventh playthrough of that game. I’ve leveled up, I’ve got lots of juice, and a cool sword, and stuff like that, and I just throw myself at them again, and again, and again, and again.”

“That was the technique I learned with Dark Souls,” he continued. “It’s not that you get better, it’s more like monkeys and typewriters. You just keep doing it, and eventually, one day they’re dead.”

Also in June, George R. R. Martin shared his excitement that Elden Ring’s film version will be helmed by Alex Garland. Writing on his blog, Martin described Garland as a “first rate director” and production company A24 as “kickass.” Overall, Martin said his current mood upon hearing the project announced was “hopeful,” as he shared a YouTube video titled “Why the Elden Ring Movie WON’T SUCK.”

While Martin is clearly excited by the project, there has been no suggestion so far that he is actually involved. Indeed, the writer is already juggling a swathe of projects, including an upcoming animated Hercules movie.

Little else is known about the upcoming Elden Ring adaptation, though Garland is reportedly keen to reunite with Heartstopper and Warfare actor Kit Connor for a key role. The film is yet to begin production, or name a release date.

Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.