David Leitch and Kelly McCormick are fresh off producing Bob Odenkirk‘s John Wick-like action comedy sequel, Nobody 2, and they aren’t planning to slow down. During a wide-ranging interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the pair discussed some of the upcoming projects they have in the pipeline and their hopes for the future of their 87North production banner. Among the biggest projects they have revving up, however, is Netflix‘s hotly anticipated Gears of War video game adaptation, which Leitch is set to direct. McCormick was able to tease where things currently stand in bringing Marcus Fenix and his jacked-up squad of Locust death-dealers to life at the streaming service, confirming that the ball is starting to move quickly on the script.
The last major update on Gears came back in May when Leitch signed on to the project, bringing his resume of action success from Bullet Train to The Fall Guy to the Xbox franchise. Plans for a movie based on the high-octane third-person shooter series were cemented at Netflix back in 2022, with Dune‘s Jon Spaihts brought on board in 2023 to help pen the script. Since then, however, things have been moving slowly. Spaihts has remained busy working with Denis Villeneuve on the upcoming Dune: Part Three, though now, McCormick says that work is well underway and the energy is high. Moreover, they’d ideally like to have the film out to somewhat tie in with the new Gears game, even if not exactly when the next title debuts in 2026.
“We’re writing right now with Jon Spaihts, and we’re really excited about it. There’s a lot of energy from [Gears of War company] The Coalition and from Netflix, because The Coalition is releasing a game in 2026. We won’t hit that release date, but maybe something that feels relevant to the release of the new game. It’s an opportunity for David to do a war film, which he hasn’t gotten to do yet, and a bit of sci-fi in his own way with this beloved IP in his own way.”
What Is ‘Gears of War’ About?
Actual urgency from all parties towards bringing Gears of War to life is a refreshing change of pace after a long silence. Although Netflix has only been attached to the project for a few years, plans for an adaptation have been in the works since 2007, when New Line Cinema purchased the rights to adapt the mega-hit sci-fi war franchise. Netflix‘s former film chief, Scott Stuber, was involved since 2016, when the IP was gestating under Universal, and, back in 2023, he expressed how eager he was to see the action-packed feature finally come to fruition alongside the streamer’s also long-awaited Bioshock adaptation. He’s since moved on, but the wait might not be much longer with everyone in good spirits and driven to make it happen sooner rather than later.
Details of Spaihts‘s script are unknown, but the games take place in a sci-fi world where humanity is locked in a lengthy and gruesome conflict with the subterranean reptilian humanoid menace known as the Locust Horde. At the start of the first game, things are not going well for the human population on Sera. 14 years after Emergence Day, or E-Day, when the Locust Horde emerged from the ground and began wiping out soldiers and civilians alike, the Coalition of Ordered Governments requires desperate measures to save everyone from being overrun by the invaders. Enter Marcus Fenix, a gruff soldier imprisoned for deserting his post to try and save his father, who is recruited back into the military alongside his best friend, Dom Santiago, to help fight back against the Locust. As the COG’s soldiers, known as Gears, they face seemingly insurmountable odds to push back the underground enemies in massive firefights, all while uncovering the mysteries of their foe’s origins along the way.
No casting decisions have been made yet for the Gears of War movie, though, if it were up to Dave Bautista and the fans, the Guardians of the Galaxy star would take on the lead role of Marcus. In the meantime, Leitch and McCormick’s work as producers can be seen in Nobody 2 in theaters now.
via Collider