Netflix is pushing forward with its long-anticipated Gears of War movie adaptation, and now action filmmaker David Leitch, best known for co-directing John Wick and helming Deadpool 2 and Bullet Train, is reportedly in negotiations to take the director’s chair.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Leitch, 49, is in talks to direct the live-action film version of Epic Games’ iconic shooter. Along with his wife and producing partner Kelly McCormick, Leitch would produce the project under their 87North production banner, teaming up with the game’s developer, The Coalition.
Writing duties are in the hands of Jon Spaihts, whose credits include Dune and Doctor Strange. That gives fans of the franchise hope that the adaptation will carry the epic scale and dark tone of the original games.
Originally launched in 2006, Gears of War is set on the war-torn planet of Sera, where humanity faces annihilation from a monstrous underground species called the Locust. The story centers on Delta Squad, a ragtag team of soldiers led by Marcus Fenix, a disgraced sergeant pulled out of prison to help fight humanity’s last stand.
The gritty, boots-on-the-ground storytelling and brutal action of the series helped define third-person shooters for over a decade. If Leitch signs on, his knack for stylized, high-intensity combat sequences could make him a perfect fit to bring Gears of War to life on the big screen.
The news comes as Gears of War is experiencing a resurgence. A remastered edition of the first game, Gears of War: Reloaded, is set for release in August 2025. Fans will also get a deeper look at the franchise’s origins with the prequel Gears of War: E Day, which explores the day the Locust first emerged.
The official synopsis for E Day reads: “Fourteen years before Gears of War, war heroes Marcus Fenix and Dom Santiago return home to face a new nightmare: the Locust Horde. These subterranean monsters, grotesque and relentless, erupt from below, laying siege on humanity itself.”
With Netflix behind the project and a creative team with solid credentials, the Gears of War movie is shaping up to be one of the most ambitious video game adaptations to date. No casting announcements have been made yet, but fans are already speculating about who might take on the iconic role of Marcus Fenix.
While the gaming world waits for Reloaded and E Day, all eyes are on whether Leitch officially signs on, and whether he can deliver the gritty, emotional war story that made Gears of War a classic.
