Variety (via GameFragger.com) has confirmed that Netflix's live-action adaptation of Gears of War has moved one step closer to becoming a reality with the addition of Academy Award-nominated screenwriter Jon Spaihts.
Best known for his work on movies like Doctor Strange, Dune, and Prometheus, this is an impressive step in the right direction for the project and one that suggests the streamer is taking it seriously.
"'Gears of War’ is one of the all-time great action games, with vivid characters, a beautifully designed world, and a combat system that drives home the lethality of war and the importance of standing by your squadmates," Spaihts says. "It wants to be cinema, and I’m thrilled to have the chance to help that happen."
The Coalition, the company behind the hit video game franchise, adds, "We’re thrilled to partner with Jon and the Netflix team to bring ‘Gears of War’ to life. 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."
Attempts to bring this series to the big screen struggled to get off the ground for years before Netflix decided to take a shot at it.
An Xbox-exclusive franchise, Gears of War launched in 2006 and has since spawned five main games and three spin-offs. The main character, Marcus Fenix, is a soldier and former war hero in the Coalition of Ordered Governments called back into action on Planet Sera to battle reptilian invaders called the Locust Horde.
As well as a live-action movie, Netflix is also moving forward with an adult-orientated animated series.
Guardians of the Galaxy star Dave Bautista has expressed his interest in playing Fenix on multiple occasions, and with Dune's writer now developing the project, we may well have got one step closer to that becoming a reality.
Stay tuned for updates on Gears of War.