Key Insights
- Movie Adaptation: A Helldivers movie is in the works, with Jason Momoa set to star.
- Director Involvement: Justin Lin will direct the film, aiming to expand the game’s narrative.
- Franchise Growth: Helldivers 2 has gained significant popularity since its release in 2024.
- Upcoming Projects: Jason Momoa has several films releasing soon, including roles in Supergirl and Street Fighter.
For Democracy! PlayStation Productions and Sony Pictures are ready to make a Helldivers movie, and Jason Momoa (The Wrecking Crew, A Minecraft Movie, Aquaman) is game to enlist! According to reports, Momoa will star in the upcoming adaptation of the video game franchise with Justin Lin (Fast Five, Last Days) directing. Sony plans to unleash the satirical action film on November 10, 2027.
What is Helldivers?
Many have compared the franchise to Starship Troopers, as the games follow an elite unit of shock troops dispatched to combat various threats to humanity, such as Bugs, Cyborgs, and the Illuminate, while spreading managed democracy. With the same satirical tone as the Paul Verhoeven flick, Helldivers has been praised as a lot of fun, with a big focus on teamwork and camaraderie.
Although there is a story to be found in the game, there’s also plenty of opportunity to expand it, which is what attracted Lin to the project. According to THR’s insiders, Lin isn’t a big gamer, but he “aims to find the humanity in the characters and weave timely themes into the story, while building out a world and mythology.” He will also produce the project through his Perfect Storm Entertainment banner, alongside Hutch Parker and PlayStation Productions’ Asad Qizilbash and Carter Swan.
Helldivers 2 did not come to play
While 2015’s Helldivers was a success, the franchise didn’t blow up until 2024’s Helldivers 2, which traded the original’s top-down perspective for a 3rd person, over-the-shoulder excursion into pure mayhem on the battlefield. While most shooters tend to be a flash-in-the-pan for today’s ADHD-riddled gaming collective, Helldivers 2 has tremendous staying power, with more than 100,000 daily concurrent players entering the fray.
What’s next for Jason Momoa?
Jason Momoa’s The Wrecking Crew recently debuted on Prime Video. The buddy action comedy finds estranged half-brothers, Johnny (Jason Momoa) and James (Dave Bautista), reuniting after their father’s mysterious death. As they search for the truth, buried secrets reveal a conspiracy threatening to tear their family apart. Later this year, you can catch Momoa playing Lobo opposite Milly Alcock as Kara Zor-El in DC Studios’ Supergirl, or as Blanka in Kitao Sakurai’s Street Fighter.
Opinion: While I only played a handful of hours of Helldivers 2, I used to be obsessed with the original game. There’s something so satisfying about calling down a Hellpod (both in general and on top of an unsuspecting teammate) to help replenish your ammo and give you an edge in combat. The general tone of the series is extremely Starship Troopers, so let’s hope Lin is willing to get as satirical as the franchise demands.
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