The planned Gears of War film has been in discussion as far back as 2007, when New Line Cinema purchased the film rights for the game. Director Len Wiseman was attached as director, and plans aimed to get the film to theaters by 2010. Things fell apart by that target and the movie whispers went dormant until 2013, when a project “set in the universe” of Gears of War was confirmed with the release of the fourth game in the series. This also fell apart until discussions with Netflix surfaced in 2022, and news of a script from Jon Spaihts followed in 2023. Things remained somewhat quiet until earlier this year when David Leitch was announced as director.
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During a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Leitch and his wife/producing partner, Kelly McCormick, discussed the status of the Gears of War movie and when fans could expect the film to be released. Once again, it’s some good news mixed with bad news.
“Weโre writing right now with Jon Spaihts, and weโre really excited about it. Thereโs a lot of energy from [Gears of War company] The Coalition and from Netflix, because The Coalition is releasing a game in 2026,” McCormick told THR. “We wonโt hit that release date, but maybe something that feels relevant to the release of the new game. Itโs an opportunity for David to do a war film, which he hasnโt gotten to do yet, and a bit of sci-fi in his own way with this beloved IP in his own way.”

Leitch is best known for his impressive resume of action films like Fall Guy, Bullet Train, Hobbs & Shaw, Deadpool 2, and the fantastic Atomic Blonde. Gears of War will be the duo’s latest attempt to enter the franchise world. Spaihts pedigree is another positive sign for fans, with his name connected to franchises like Dune, Doctor Strange, Prometheus, and more. He was nominated for his work on Dune and also penned the sequel Dune: Part Two.
“Gears of War is one of the all-time great action games, with vivid characters, a beautifully designed world, and a combat system that drives home the lethality of war and the importance of standing by your squadmates,” Spaihts wrote in a statement. “It wants to be cinema, and Iโm thrilled to have the chance to help that happen.”
One wild card that could still come true is the inclusion of former WWE star and Guardians of the Galaxy‘s Drax, Dave Bautista. The former wrestler has more than proven himself on the screen and apparently wants to appear in the upcoming film.
“Start an online thing about freaking Gears of War. Come on, Netflix. Come on already,” Bautista told ComicBook in February. “Itโs not like Iโm not badgering them. Come on, Netflix. Get it together.”
Gears of Wars has no release date as of now, but fans shouldn’t expect the film to release before the game’s next installment, Gears of War: E-Day. Still, with the release of Gears of War: Reloaded later this month and the release of E-Day in 2026, fans will have plenty to keep them busy.
Do you think the Gears of War film will be worth the wait? How would you handle it if you were working on the film? Let us know in the comments.