Netflix's Gears of War movie will be penned by Dune and Doctor Strange writer Jon Spaihts

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And no, Dave Bautista still isn't Marcus Fenix

Gears of War
(Image credit: Epic Games)

Netflix has announced that its live-action Gears of War movie will be penned by the Academy Award-nominated writer Jon Spaihts, who wrote Dune 1 and 2 and Doctor Strange.

The news was shared via Netflix's Twitter account some four months after the movie, as well as an "adult animated series," were announced. Of course, we've known about a Gears of War movie existing through various sources for the last, oh, 15 years or so, but it seems the gears are fully turning now with Netflix joining the hype machine.

— netflix on March 21, 2023

In addition to 2021's Dune, its upcoming 2023 sequel, and Doctor Strange, Spaihts wrote the 2012 sci-fi horror movie Prometheus, the Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence-led 2016 sci-fi drama Passengers, and 2017's The Mummy. In fact, there isn't a movie in Spaihts' filmography that doesn't have an element of sci-fi to it, so he appears well primed to adapt Gears of War for Netflix.

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We've still yet to hear any casting news from Netflix, but we've heard plenty from fans as well as the actor they'd like to play Marcus Fenix: Dave Bautista. Back in 2019, Bautista said he'd "tried everything" to get in the Gears of War movie, and he enthusiastically pitched himself once more just a few months back.

For what its worth, Bautista's desire to star in the Gears of War film isn't random, as he previously played Marcus Fenix for an unlockable skin in Gears 5. Still, it's unclear whether Netflix will ultimately break and give Bautista the role he's been dreaming of for years.

It also remains to be seen whether Gears of War joins our list of the best video game movies ever made.

Jordan Gerblick
Jordan Gerblick
Staff Writer

After earning an English degree from ASU, I worked as a corporate copy editor while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. I got my big break here in 2019 with a freelance news gig, and I was hired on as GamesRadar's west coast Staff Writer in 2021. That means I'm responsible for managing the site's western regional executive branch, AKA my home office, and writing about whatever horror game I'm too afraid to finish.