During an interview with FromSoftware director Hidetaka Miyazaki, in which he admitted that not only does he suck at video games, but he’ll use every advantage possible when playing Elden Ring (yes, that includes Mimic Tear). Miyazaki concluded that while his journey in The Lands Between is coming to an end, that doesn’t mean he’d discourage any further adaptations, whether that be TV or film.
“I don’t see any reason to deny another interpretation or adaptation of Elden Ring, a movie, for example,” Miyazaki says during an interview with The Guardian. “But I don’t think myself, or FromSoftware, have the knowledge or ability to produce something in a different medium. So that’s where a very strong partner would come into play. We’d have to build a lot of trust and agreement on whatever it is we’re trying to achieve, but there’s interest, for sure.”
There was some speculation about who, if anyone, could pull off such a monumental task. And while the writing’s still on the wall, there has been a rather cryptic message sent out by George R.R. Martin, which could hint at a future Elden Ring adaptation.
“Oh, and about those rumours you may have heard about a feature film or television series based on Elden Ring… I have nothing to say,” Martin writes in his personal blog. “Not a word, nope, not a thing. I know nothing, you never heard a peep from me, mum mum mum. What rumour?”
Martin, best known for the Game of Thrones novels, also helped FromSoftware write the lore for Elden Ring. The rest of his blog post was actually about an award he got for his writing on the game. “I did the worldbuilding for that project; Hidetaka Miyazaki and his team did all the rest,” Martin says. “We were both honored with trophies. I was not at the awards banquet, however, and in any case, only one trophy was on hand for the event. That one went home to Japan, where it truly belongs.”
Elden Ring’s never had a film or TV adaptation before but it does have countless mangas and, while not all of them are great, it’s always cool to see different interpretations of one of FromSoftware’s most expansive stories.
Although what the film or TV adaptation would cover is still up for debate. “Even if you showed a tiny element like the Tarnished completing Stormveil, there isn’t much actual plot,” one player says in a Reddit thread. “First of all, you’d have to decide what the Tarnished looks and acts like, which is counter to the idea they are anyone and everyone. But the plot of Stormveil minus the action is meeting Margit, meeting Gostoc, meeting Nepheli, meeting Rogier, and meeting Godrick.”
Elden Ring’s story is also known for being shrouded in mystery. Apart from some crucial information, nothing’s really pointed out to players. Most of the narrative occurs in obscure NPC quests and in the description of notes and items found around the world. This cryptic way of storytelling is part of the charm, so having a TV show or film spell everything out so obviously is at odds with what players have experienced so far.
But if Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree DLC is FromSoftware’s last story in this universe, then future projects expanding on everything we’ve already experienced could be a cool way to extend the narrative.