Netflix has confirmed that screenwriter Jon Spaihts, best known for co-writing Dune, Dune: Part Two, and Doctor Strange, has been recruited to write its live-action adaptation of Gears of War.
Gears of War is one of gaming’s most acclaimed video game sagas, with the original game winning over 30 “Game of the Year” Awards in 2006. The franchise was first connected to a potential film adaptation back in 2007 with New Line Cinema. That deal fell through, as did another with Universal in 2018, and then all was quiet until Netflix announced a partnership with The Coalition, Gears of War’s developer, in November of 2022.
Now, with Spaihts on board, it seems that an adaptation might finally be finding its feet.
“We’re thrilled to partner with Jon and the Netflix team to bring ‘Gears of War’ to life,” stated The Coalition. “Jon is a master storyteller with a talent for creating epic, science-fiction universes, and he truly loves ‘Gears of War.’ We couldn’t ask for a better partner to honor our franchise and deliver an authentic story to our fans.”
Gears of War is a large video game series, clocking in at six installments, including a prequel and two strategy game spin-offs. It tells the story of a world divided, where society is on the brink of collapse and facing total extinction by a monstrous subterranean race called the Locust Horde. The games mostly focus on Marcus Fenix, the leader of a disgraced firearm team known as Delta Squad, who is tasked with leading the last stand against the Locust.
The games have an extremely passionate fanbase, and have sold almost 40 million copies.
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Spaihts was nominated for an Oscar for co-writing Warner Bros.’ epic Dune and has also co-written the second installment in the series, which is set for release on November 3. Dune isn’t Spaihts’ only experience writing blockbuster sci-fi, either. His previous credits include The Darkest Hour, Prometheus, The Mummy, and Passengers.
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