The Long Road Out of Development Hell
It’s finally happening: Gears of War is officially crawling out of development hell, chainsaws revving. After nearly two decades of false starts and studio hopscotch, Netflix has tapped John Wick co-director David Leitch to helm the long-gestating adaptation of the beloved Xbox shooter. And frankly, if anyone’s going to bring curb-stomping, Locust-slaying carnage to the screen, it might as well be the guy who made Bullet Train look like a high-budget Red Bull ad.
Leitch joins with his producing partner Kelly McCormick under their 87North banner—the same team behind Atomic Blonde, Nobody, and the kind of bruising action movies that treat bones like breakable props. It’s the right kind of pedigree for a franchise where the guns are big, the enemies are subterranean monsters, and the emotional arcs sneak up on you between firefights.
A Screenwriter With Sandworm Experience
Backing Leitch is screenwriter Jon Spaihts, whose credits include Dune, Doctor Strange, and Prometheus. His general vibe is “serious sci-fi with a philosophical bent.” His involvement suggests this won’t just be blood, bullets, and biceps—there’s hope for actual pathos amid the carnage.
Netflix first announced the adaptation in 2022 as part of a broader Gears expansion, which also includes an animated series. But until now, the film side felt like vaporware.
Dave Bautista: Fan Favorite, Actor, Walking Tank
Casting hasn’t been announced, but if the internet had a vote (and when doesn’t it?), Dave Bautista would already be suiting up as Marcus Fenix. The former wrestler has been campaigning for the role like it’s his presidential bid, even donning the armor in a promo for Gears 5 and publicly calling on Netflix to get moving.
Gears creator Cliff Bleszinski is in Bautista’s corner, having publicly endorsed the casting multiple times. For once, the fan-favorite pick might actually make sense.
That said, Bautista recently trimmed down to 240lbs in an effort to diversify as an actor. So many are asking whether he’ll bulk up again if offered the role.
What Gears Needs to Get Right
The 2006 game that started it all gave players a war-torn planet, gun-blasted ruins, and a war against the Locust Horde that was as bleak as it was brutally fun. But it also had emotional weight—a surprisingly affecting story about brotherhood, loss, and what’s left when the war never really ends.
If Leitch and Spaihts can balance that tone, they might actually pull off what Hollywood has largely failed to do with video games: make a film that feels like the game without playing like a cutscene.
Can Netflix Stick the Landing?
So yes, after years of false starts, Gears of War might finally be on track to hit the big screen. It’s got the director. It’s got the writer. It’s got a lead actor practically knocking on the studio’s door in full costume. The only question now is whether Netflix can turn this potential into something that doesn’t just resemble Gears—but actually feels like it.
Fingers crossed, and chainsaws ready.
