Elden Ring film reported to cost $200 million for A24
Alex Garland’s upcoming live-action adaptation of Elden Ring carries a reported production budget of nearly $200 million, positioning it as by far the most expensive film in A24’s history. The fantasy film, based on FromSoftware and George R.R. Martin’s 2022 role-playing game, pushes the arthouse-focused studio into blockbuster financial territory ahead of its scheduled March 3, 2028 release date.
A24 Budget Reaches Unprecedented Financial Tier
That $200 million price tag represents a massive departure from standard operating procedure for A24. For the past fourteen years, the studio built its reputation on delivering projects on modest budgets. Nothing in the company’s catalog approaches this financial tier. Timothée Chalamet-led drama Marty Supreme, directed by Josh Safdie, held the studio’s previous high-water mark at $70 million. Before that, Garland’s own directorial effort Civil War cost $50 million, a figure matched by Dwayne Johnson’s vehicle The Smashing Machine.
Should the reported Wall Street Journal figures prove accurate, Elden Ring lands squarely in the budget bracket of major studio tentpoles. It sits alongside Marvel’s Spider-Man: No Way Home at $200 million and Jurassic World Rebirth at $180 million. Initial rumors surrounding the fantasy adaptation had pinned the production at just over $100 million, indicating either that early estimates missed the mark or that costs expanded significantly over the course of production. Filming officially wrapped in July.
Ensemble Cast Joins High Selling Game Adaptation
With an expected 100 days of principal photography, the production has assembled a notable ensemble cast. The project features Kit Connor, Cailee Spaeny, Nick Offerman, Havana Rose Liu, and Tom Burke. Early production materials circulated online have teased faithful set recreations of the game’s iconic locations.
The game itself launched in February 2022 with world-building contributions from George R.R. Martin. It has since sold more than 36 million copies across Steam, PlayStation, and Xbox platforms. The quick turnaround from its 2022 release to a greenlit screen adaptation announced in May 2025 highlights the growing industry appetite for major gaming intellectual property.
A24 Moves into High Stakes Franchise Filmmaking
Major film studios are increasingly adopting aspects of the independent production playbook, bidding heavily on online horror properties and backing high-concept genre projects. Julie Huntsinger, the Telluride director, described A24 as a goldilocks company with just the right amount of people doing just the right amount of things. Yet with Elden Ring, the studio is moving far beyond its traditional indie roots into high-stakes franchise filmmaking.
Little footage has been released ahead of the 2028 premiere, leaving the exact drivers of the near-$200 million price tag open to speculation.
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