Miyazaki ‘not saying no’ to Elden Ring film – he should, it would suck

In the run up to Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree expansion, Miyazaki has been talking to press about a plethora of FromSoftware related topics. Bloodborne and Sekiro have been featured prominently, while the creator behind the Soulslike formula has spoken in-depth about poison swamps. The most recent piece of information shared is that he is “not saying no” to movie and TV adaptations of FromSoftware’s games.

In an interview with GameSpot, Miyazaki said he has “no intention of saying, ‘Oh, there’s never going to be a movie'”, despite going on to say that the way he interacts with audiences is through “interactive mediums” such as games.

“The biggest value-add that we can provide is by making games,” said Miyazaki. “So again, not saying no to any possibilities, but perhaps there are others who are better suited to adapting Elden Ring and other From Software franchises into different medium formats.”

If Miyazaki was to hand over TV and film rights to an established production studio – the likes of Guillermo Del Toro and Robert Eggers would surely be interested, though I struggle to see how a faithful and representative movie could ever be born out of the FromSoftware mythos. The games generally see a silent protagonist, and though I think Miyazaki’s next games should lean more into decision based narrative, I think giving a voice to Bloodborne’s Hunter, Elden Ring’s Tarnished, or Dark Souls’ Undead would be a disservice to the current FromSoft philosophy.

We’ve seen World of Warcraft hitting the big screen, and Fallout and The Last of Us now have established and successful TV series’, though each of these IPs bring with it an established cast of characters and journeys to follow. Who do you attach a FromSoftware movie to, and how do you stop it from becoming a gluttonous action movie despite the fact that Miyazaki’s games are anything but that?

Death is central to FromSoftware games. You are the victim in a timeless loop of death and decay; how could you turn this into serialised series or film without downplaying its effect? If producing a FromSoft movie is in the talks – I seriously hope these questions are being considered. The Elden Ring manga, for example, takes a comedic lens to the Lands Between. I think there’s a recognition adapting a FromSoftware game into other mediums is near impossible, so whenever they do – they flip the script.

At least Miyazaki is humble enough to realise that games are FromSoftware’s bread and butter, and that anything else would detract from the Souls ethos. I seriously hope that there’s never a Dark Souls or Elden Ring movie. I’d watch the undying hell out of it, but it wouldn’t do the source material any justice.

Edit: Nobody asked, but here are a few directors I think would make a fun Souls movie

Miyazaki (Goro, not Hayao nor Hidetaka): A hand-drawn animated Souls flick from the man (and son of Hayao Miyazaki) who turned Tales from Earthsea into one of the most beautiful fantasy films I’ve ever seen? I’d watch.

Nathan Fielder: A low-fantasy gothic in which Fielder plays a snake-oil merchant in Yharnam trying to sell blood. Featuring Adam Sandler.

George Miller: I look at FromSoft games like they’re Mad Max films from hundreds of years ago. You see the vision too, right?

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