A24’s live-action Elden Ring has reportedly become the most expensive film the studio has ever made. IGN reports that a Wall Street Journal story, citing unnamed sources, puts Alex Garland’s adaptation at “nearly $200 million”. That’s almost three times the studio’s previous record.
The figure comes from The Wall Street Journal, as relayed by Dark Horizons. A24 hasn’t commented on the number, and the WSJ article sits behind a paywall, so the details here come from those two outlets.
How far above A24’s usual spend
A24 built its name on modestly budgeted arthouse and genre films, and the gap shows in its own catalogue. IGN says Marty Supreme, the Timothée Chalamet drama released in 2025, held the record at about $70 million. Garland’s Civil War reportedly cost $50 million before that. Dark Horizons adds that Backrooms, A24’s most recent hit, cost $10 million and grossed $400 million worldwide, which shows how far Elden Ring sits from the studio’s usual model.
The number has also moved. Earlier reports put the film at just over $100 million, and IGN says that suggests either those early figures were wrong or the budget grew during production. Dark Horizons notes that the shoot was a tight four months, from April to July 2026. The film doesn’t open until 3 March 2028, so it has a long post-production runway. Dark Horizons speculates that much of the extra spend will go there, though neither outlet has confirmed what the money covers.
What we know about the film
Garland, who also directed Civil War, is writing and directing the adaptation of FromSoftware’s 2022 RPG. Dark Horizons says the story draws on a mythology written by Game of Thrones author George R. R. Martin and developed by FromSoftware’s Hidetaka Miyazaki, and that the game has sold more than 30 million copies. That built-in audience helps explain why A24 might spend at this level on its first big video game adaptation.
The cast includes Kit Connor, Cailee Spaeny, Nick Offerman, Havana Rose Liu, Ben Whishaw, Jonathan Pryce and Peter Serafinowicz, among others. Specific roles haven’t been revealed. We’ve already seen leaked UK set footage of the Church of Marika, but there are no official images or a trailer yet, and IGN expects a wait before any arrive.
Big price tags are spreading on the games side too, with Gears of War: E-Day reportedly carrying a budget of more than $400 million. For Elden Ring, the film will need a very large audience to justify spending nearly $200 million, but that test is still a year and a half away.
When does the Elden Ring movie come out?
IGN and Dark Horizons both report that the film is set to open on 3 March 2028. We haven’t seen a UAE-specific release date yet.
Has A24 confirmed the $200 million budget?
No. The figure comes from the Wall Street Journal’s unnamed sources, and A24 hasn’t publicly confirmed it. Earlier reports had the budget at just over $100 million.
Who is in the Elden Ring cast?
Kit Connor, Cailee Spaeny, Nick Offerman, Havana Rose Liu, Ben Whishaw, Tom Burke, Sonoya Mizuno, Jonathan Pryce, Emma Laird and Peter Serafinowicz are among the names listed. The studio hasn’t said which actor plays which character.
