Hollywood’s Biggest Bidding War Is Over a Battlefield Movie

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Several major studios—including Warner Bros. Discovery, Amazon MGM Studios, Sony, Universal, and Netflix—are competing to create a movie based on the popular Battlefield video game series, according to The Wrap. The Hollywood Reporter says this project is expected to spark the biggest bidding war of the year. Apple also expressed interest with a preliminary meeting, but it’s unclear if they made a formal offer. Electronic Arts has not commented on the situation.

The upcoming film is spearheaded by Christopher McQuarrie, who will write, direct, and produce. Academy Award winner Michael B. Jordan is also producing and may appear in the movie. McQuarrie is known for his Oscar-winning screenplay for The Usual Suspects and his strong collaboration with Tom Cruise, beginning with Valkyrie and Edge of Tomorrow. Cruise then chose McQuarrie to direct Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, and he subsequently directed the next three films in that series. He also directed Cruise in Jack Reacher, and recently finished directing back-to-back installments of Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning during the COVID-19 pandemic and the Hollywood strikes.

The Battlefield series began in 2002 with the PC and Mac game Battlefield 1942, and it quickly grew to include games on consoles set in diverse locations, from the Vietnam War to futuristic worlds. The 2025 installment, Battlefield 6, was reportedly one of the most costly video games ever made, and it became the best-selling game of the year in the United States, surpassing all previous titles in the franchise. Talks about adapting Battlefield into a movie or TV show had been ongoing for over ten years before a potential project finally came together.

This project is launching at a time when movies based on video games are proving incredibly successful. For example, The Super Mario Bros. Movie has already earned $764 million worldwide this year, making it the highest-grossing film so far. Several other video game adaptations are planned for release this year, including Mortal Kombat II, Resident Evil, Street Fighter, and a new Angry Birds movie. Fans can also look forward to a Legend of Zelda movie from Nintendo and Sony, expected to come out next year.

Both the Battlefield and Call of Duty video game franchises are heading to the big screen. Paramount is developing a Call of Duty movie directed by Peter Berg and co-written by Berg and Taylor Sheridan, planned for release in 2028. While Paramount wasn’t involved in early discussions for a Battlefield movie—likely because of its existing Call of Duty project—Warner Bros. is currently the frontrunner to adapt Battlefield. If Warner Bros. succeeds and Paramount completes its $111 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, both movie adaptations could ultimately be produced by the same company.

Warner Bros. has a strong connection with Michael B. Jordan, having worked with him on the Oscar-winning film Sinners, and they’re also releasing the Street Fighter movie this year. Amazon MGM has a long-standing relationship with Jordan through the Creed franchise, which they’ve consistently supported. Currently, Jordan is directing a remake of The Thomas Crown Affair for Amazon MGM, scheduled for a theatrical release next March, and he’s anticipated to reprise his role in a fourth Creed movie in the future.

Despite the filmmakers initially wanting a traditional movie theater release – something Netflix didn’t usually offer – Netflix is now one of five studios competing for the project. Netflix has recently started releasing some films in theaters, with plans for Greta Gerwig’s Narnia movie in IMAX and the success of ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ proving the potential. Previously, Netflix offered to show Warner Bros. films in theaters as part of a potential merger, and they might offer a similar deal – a theatrical release – to the filmmakers as part of this bid.

Sony creates movies and TV shows based on its popular video games. While most projects go through its in-house production company, PlayStation Productions, not all do. Currently in the works are adaptations of Resident Evil (directed by Zach Cregger), The Legend of Zelda, and Metal Gear Solid (from the team behind Final Destination: Bloodlines). There’s also an R-rated animated Bloodborne movie being produced with JackSepticEye, and a Helldivers film starring Jason Momoa, scheduled for release in November 2027.

Universal’s involvement with both McQuarrie and Jordan is minimal. Their main connection is the 2017 Mummy reboot, which McQuarrie helped write but wasn’t successful. Universal’s focus in gaming movies has been on family-friendly content, like The Super Mario Bros. Movie, and they have another animated film planned for April 2028, rumored to be about Donkey Kong. Of the five studios potentially involved, Universal is currently seen as the least likely to win the bid. Details about the financial aspects of the bidding process haven’t been made public.

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2026-05-02 21:47