Elden Ring Movie Might Have Chosen Its First Female Star (Is She Playing Marika?)

The upcoming A24 film adaptation of Elden Ring may have found its first female star. According to a new report from insider Jeff Sneider, actress Cailee Spaeny is in talks for a role in the project. If a deal is made, she would join a growing cast of acclaimed actors, including Kit Connor and Ben Whishaw, who are also reportedly in talks for leading roles. This flurry of casting news underlines that the project is a major priority for A24 and co-producer Bandai Namco, who are assembling a prestigious team to tackle the massive fantasy world. The film, an adaptation of the universally acclaimed FromSoftware video game, is being helmed by director Alex Garland, who’s a documented fan of Elden Ring and FromSoftware titles. 

If the rumors prove true, Elden Ring will mark a major reunion for Spaeny and Garland, who have a strong collaborative history. Garland previously directed Spaeny in his acclaimed 2024 film Civil War and also cast her in his FX sci-fi miniseries Devs. Spaeny’s own career has been on a monumental rise, with a Golden Globe nomination and the Best Actress award at the Venice Film Festival for her role in Priscilla, followed by a lead role in Alien: Romulus.

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The Elden Ring film is a massive undertaking with a powerhouse production team. While Garland is confirmed to direct, it is unclear if he is the sole writer of the screenplay, as A24 is developing the movie in absolute secrecy. The film is being produced by Avi and Ari Arad of Arad Productions, DNA Films’ Andrew Macdonald and Allon Reich, and Peter Rice. Most notably, George R. R. Martin, the author who co-created the game’s world and lore, is attached as a producer and has publicly endorsed Garland’s involvement. The biggest challenge for this team will be adapting the game’s unconventional narrative, which is discovered by players through exploration rather than told through a linear plot.

Which Elden Ring Character Could Cailee Spaeny Play?

With no official plot details released, any discussion of Spaeny’s role is purely speculative, but the game offers several interesting possibilities. The most significant role she could take on is that of Queen Marika the Eternal, the divine ruler of the Lands Between, whose shattering of the Elden Ring is the inciting incident for the main story. Marika is an overarching figure that permeates the entire lore of Elden Ring, so it’s likely she will show up somehow. Other prominent female characters from Elden Ring include the bodyless maiden Melina, who guides the player on their journey, or the Carian princess Ranni the Witch, a fan-favorite character who is the secret architect of the Night of the Black Knives, another huge historical event. Spaeny could also potentially portray the undefeated demigod Malenia, Blade of Miquella, arguably the most famous and challenging boss in the entire game.

Whoever Cailee plays, it is highly unlikely that the film will be a direct, one-to-one adaptation of the player’s journey in the game. Elden Ring‘s narrative is famously delivered through fragmented lore in item descriptions and environmental storytelling. It is far more probable that Garland and the creative team will choose to adapt a specific event from the game’s deep history. A story focused on the Night of the Black Knives, a conspiracy where assassins imbued daggers with a fragment of the Rune of Death to murder Godwyn the Golden, would offer a focused high-stakes narrative. Alternatively, the film could depict The Shattering, the massive civil war fought between Marika’s demigod children for the shards of the Elden Ring. Of course, given the vastness of the world, it is also possible that the film will tell a completely original story, in which case Cailee could be playing a brand-new character created specifically for the movie.