David Leitch in Talks to Direct Netflix’s Big-Budget GEARS OF WAR Movie
It looks like Gears of War is finally getting the cinematic firepower it deserves.
David Leitch, who recently directed theThe Fall Guy, is now in negotiations to helm Netflix’s long-gestating feature adaptation of the legendary Xbox video game series.
This marks a big move for Netflix, which scooped up the rights back in 2022 and has been quietly putting together the pieces for what it hopes will become a major franchise.
Leitch will produce the movie alongside his wife and creative partner Kelly McCormick under their 87North banner. They’ll be teaming up with The Coalition, the Vancouver-based studio that currently steers the Gears games.
Gears of War is basically testosterone-fueled sci-fi warfare turned up to 11. The story is set on a dying planet where subterranean monsters called the Locust emerge to wage war on the last scraps of human civilization. At the center is Marcus Fenix, a grizzled, battle-scarred ex-soldier leading Delta Squad on what’s essentially a suicide mission to save humanity.
The movie is being written by Jon Spaihts, best known for Dune and Prometheus. With him handling the script, fans can expect a grounded, cinematic world that still captures the grit, madness, and scale of the games.
Leitch seems like a natural fit for Gears. His action pedigree is tough to beat. Hhe’s the guy behind Bullet Train, Atomic Blonde, Deadpool 2, John Wick, and Hobbs & Shaw. He knows his way around an action scene, and more importantly, he knows how to make action feel personal, stylish, and character-driven.
Netflix’s plan is to lead with this feature film, follow up with an adult animated series, and expand from there… assuming audiences watch and like what they see.
According to Gears of War head Rod Fergusson, the movie will not be set in the same reality of the game. It will be its own thing and tell its own story, a story that will not be dependent on the games. He previously explained:
“In order for the movie to be successful, it has to be a great movie first and a Gears movie second. Basically the way that we sort of reconciled that was, we said, ‘oh the movie should be an alternate reality. It should not be dependent on the game story, nor should it influence the game story.’”
Fergusson added: “I've heard of other franchises who come with this really large story Bible and this really sort of, here are all the rules now go and deal with 700 pages of how you live in our world.
“When we did it, we were two pages. I was like, ‘Here's two pages of thou shall nots and recommendations.’ We want people to have the freedom to have new ideas and to take things differently.”
It was also said that there are still certain staples of the franchise that will be true for the movie. Fergusson revealed that it should be set on Sera and that it should star certain characters that are familiar to fans.
The gears are in motion. And with Leitch at the helm, there’s a real shot this adaptation could be badass!
Source: THR
