UPDATE: According to The Wrap, “Battlefield” is attracting intense interest from multiple fronts, with five major studios submitting bids for the Christopher McQuarrie/Michael B. Jordan package, as Warner Bros. Discovery, Amazon MGM Studios, Sony, Universal, and Netflix compete for what is emerging as the year’s most high-stakes bidding war.
EARLIER: Forget about Marvel or the DCU—the real IP gold rush this decade has been video game adaptations: ‘Super Mario,’ ‘Minecraft,’ and ‘Sonic’ serve as living proof.
Here’s potentially the next big one. A ‘Battlefield’ movie is gaining momentum as a major studio adaptation of EA’s long-running military shooter franchise, with Michael B. Jordan attached to star and produce.
The film is being developed with Christopher McQuarrie—known for his work on the Mission: Impossible franchise—attached to direct. According to THR’s report, the project aims to turn ‘Battlefield’ into a cinematic universe–style action franchise. Great.
Many studios are interested in acquiring the project, including Apple and Sony, which met with McQuarrie on Thursday, with additional meetings taking place on Friday. You can bet Paramount is interested as well. A full-scale theatrical release is being prioritized, so Netflix can likely be removed from consideration.
Jordan’s role is expected to be central to the story, though specific plot details remain under wraps. The film is still in early development, but it is being positioned as a large-scale action feature with an emphasis on grounded military realism and tactical warfare. The project is being watched closely as a potential benchmark for future game-to-film adaptations.
McQuarrie, who won an Oscar for writing “The Usual Suspects,” is also currently attached to helm the next Conan the Barbarian movie, “King Conan,” with Arnold Schwarzenegger set to return. He’s also one of the rumored candidates to replace Joseph Kosinski on ‘Top Gun 3.’
McQuarrie made his directorial debut with 2000’s “The Way of the Gun”—whose final shootout is worthy of a time capsule. Since then, he has become Tom Cruise’s most frequent creative collaborator, writing and directing action hits like “Jack Reacher” and the last four Mission: Impossible films. He also contributed as a writer and/or producer on several other Cruise projects, including “Top Gun: Maverick” and “Edge of Tomorrow.”
As for Jordan, that Oscar win is going to boost him beyond belief. His filmography includes “Sinners,” “Black Panther,” and three “Creed” films. He has already shot his next film, a “Thomas Crown Affair” remake, which he also directed. He will star in “Miami Vice ’85,” set for a 2027 release, and is attached to “I Am Legend 2.”
For Schrader, AI solves the curious practical filmmaking problem he had. How about just creating Black people? No casting calls, no agents, no actors turning down the roles.