From the Sonic movies to Zach Cregger's upcoming Resident Evil film, video game adaptations are taking over Hollywood, with military shooter Gears of War being the latest franchise to be picked up by Netflix. However, producer Kelly McCormick believes that adaptations should contribute to the game's story and lore, rather than retell it.
When we spoke to McCormick about her upcoming festive action flick Violent Night 2, we asked for an update on the Gears of War movie, which is still in very early development. "I can't really talk about Gears of War right now," says McCormick to GamesRadar+. "But I'll leave it at we are very excited about being involved and are making great progress on the script and movement toward making the movie."
The producer added, "I'm really excited, and I think it's a perfect time for it with the game coming out," referring to the upcoming game Gears of War: E-Day.
Although McCormick couldn't spill any details, the producer did give us an insight into how she approaches adaptations like Gears of War. "I think it's a really special IP. People spend a lot of time in their games and love their games. [But] there's more to give than what they're doing in their games," adds the Atomic Blonde producer. "There's more story to tell. And I think, to me, the games that we really respond to are games that have started a story but haven't finished one, or a game that has so much to give story-wise."
McCormick says that the goal is for games and on-screen projects to "communicate between each other," so fans can "play the game," then "see the movie," and so on. "The movie contributes to the next game, and the game contributes to the next movie. And they have a bit of an ecosystem where you can experience both of them and feel more connected to the game, but also feel more connected to the movie."
In June, it was revealed that the Gears of War film, directed by The Fall Guy helmer and McCormick's husband David Leitch, will act as a Delta Squad origin story. The description shared by Entertainment Weekly reads, "a ragtag crew of soldiers who wage a desperate war for survival against the Locust, a race of subterranean creatures set on destroying humanity." Now, that sounds pretty much in line with the new game.
Set 14 years before the first Gears of War game, Gears of War: E-Day follows a young Marcus Fenix and Dominic Santiago during the first Locust Horde attack. From McCormick's comments and the timing of the adaptation, it would make sense for the movie to serve as an extension of the game. Developed by The Coalition, Gears of War: E-Day launches on October 6, 2026.
The Gears of War movie does not yet have a release date. For more, keep up with video game release dates and upcoming video game movies on the way.
