Key Takeaways

• Rising Star: Havana Rose Liu is gaining recognition after her role in Bottoms.
• Upcoming Projects: She will appear in Tuner and Power Ballad, along with a new A24 musical.
• Major Role: Liu is filming for Elden Ring, a significant adaptation of the popular video game.
• Support System: Charles Melton has been a supportive figure for Liu during her transition to this large-scale project.

Since starring in the breakout hit comedy Bottoms in 2023, Havana Rose Liu‘s star has been quickly on the rise. In May alone, she’s set to appear in a pair of buzzy features between the Leo Woodall-led crime drama Tuner and the Paul Rudd and Nick Jonas two-hander comedy Power Ballad, though she also has Jesse Eisenberg‘s new A24 musical on the horizon. However, perhaps the biggest development for the young actress of late has been her journey to The Lands Between. She’s currently filming for Alex Garland‘s wildly anticipated adaptation of the FromSoftware megahit video game Elden Ring, her first major IP-based project and a big-budget one at that. The ambitious dark fantasy is unlike anything she’s tackled to this point in her career, but she’s also loved the process so far.

Liu recently sat down for a conversation with Perri Nemiroff as part of her Collider Ladies Night series, where they dove into the star’s new movie in Tuner, as well as her other upcoming films, including Elden Ring. Garland’s adaptation still has a long journey ahead of it — it won’t hit theaters until March 2028 — meaning there wasn’t much she could share about it for many reasons. As an avid fan of the open-world action RPG epic, the director is hemming close to the source material, but how he’ll adapt a story that’s so open-ended and reliant on its environment and lore, which was developed in part by A Song of Ice and Fire author George R.R. Martin, remains to be seen. Although there’s little to know about how this world, torn apart by a war between demigods, is coming to life, Liu could, however, share her experience delving into such a project.

When asked about what gave her the feeling that she had to jump at the opportunity to join Elden Ring and embrace the high expectations that come with it, the actress admitted she hasn’t had much chance to open up about it. “Oh my god, that’s such a great question,” said Liu. “Also, I’m so in the thick of it in this moment, and I haven’t been able to talk about it, slash have never really talked about it before, so I’m going to tread very, very gently.” Upon reflection, though, the project has resonated with her in a way very similar to the other films she’s chosen to do in the past, only on a grander scale. Her character, the cast and crew, and more have made it a standout so far.

“But I will say that the film, and the process of feeling connected to that film, feels like any other, where character, people, timing, and story feel right, and everything else feels like a dessert to that, or a side dish to the meat of what my job is. I am really excited because it feels daunting, and also, I love my character so much, and I will not say who it is. I love the people so much, and it’s been one of my favorite processes I’ve ever had to becoming involved with a film. And I’ll leave it at that.”