The co-op shooter Helldivers is getting its own movie. This is now confirmed, as well as who the director will be. The latter is already causing criticism among fans, but there are also some optimistic voices.
What kind of movie is it? As Hollywood Reporter reports, a film adaptation of the shooter series Helldivers is in the works at Sony Pictures. It currently consists of two titles, with the second one being released in February 2024 and gaining a lot of attention.
Even in 2025, the game will still be receiving updates and improvements, after players had criticized the technical state. Completely unaffected by this is the upcoming adaptation, for which there is already some information.
The screenplay is being written by Gary Dauberman, who has primarily worked in the horror genre in the past, responsible for films like Annabelle, It, and Until Dawn. The latter film, like Helldivers, is a video game adaptation.
Justin Lin will take the director’s chair. He is particularly known for the Fast & Furious series, having directed parts 3, 4, 5, 6, and 9. Otherwise, he is recognized as the director of Star Trek Beyond, the third installment in the reboot series, or various television series like True Detective or S.W.A.T.
There is currently no trailer for the movie yet; instead, here is a video on the new expansion in Helldivers 2:
A movie that actually already exists
What will the movie be about? Nothing specific is known about the plot yet. However, looking at the video game template, the fight against the alien Terminids and the mechanical Automatons will certainly play a major role. After all, it is necessary to maintain peace on Over-Earth.
Interestingly, there is already a film that has parallels to Helldivers. In 1997, Starship Troopers, directed by Paul Verhoeven, was released, which presumably served as an inspiration for the developers. It also features exaggerated and satirical patriotism, the over-the-top battle against bug aliens, and plenty of action.
Many players discovered Starship Troopers upon the release of Helldivers 2 and helped the film find numerous new viewers. If the game now gets its own adaptation, the circle will be complete. Comparisons to Paul Verhoeven’s film will certainly be drawn when Helldivers is released in theaters.
Justin Lin must show that he can reach the level of the cult film Starship Troopers. Because with a filmography largely consisting of Fast & Furious, he has not only fans. Additionally, according to insiders from Hollywood Reporter, he himself does not play video games, and therefore knows Helldivers only from the outside. However, this might be an advantage for him to deliver a successful interpretation of the brand.
On Reddit, the announcement is already causing criticism, although some Helldivers players also have hope.
What do players think? On Reddit, many comments are gathering around the news and particularly about the choice of director.
- “I think someone should throw him into a Diff-10 mission without explanation of how the game works, then he would get a feel for how the Helldivers universe works,” suggests JET252LL.
- “I’m sure someone who does not understand or respect the source material will do a great job!” writes ponzicar ironically.
- “Please don’t let this be a Halo TV series, I beg you,” says BozoRedditboi, referring to the 2022 series, which is also controversial among fans.
- “It’s a video game movie. Those with high expectations will only be disappointed,” warns Euphoric_Reading_401.
Amid the critical voices, hopeful ones also emerge:
- “As a Trekkie, he really did a great job with Star Trek Beyond, after the two films by J.J. Abrams were rather mediocre. That and the fact that he is a fan of Starship Troopers gives me confidence that he would do justice to Helldivers,” writes artemis_kryze.
- “I mean, exaggerated, ridiculous actions (like in Fast & Furious) somehow seem to fit Helldivers well,” thinks imthattoneguyyouknew.
- ABystander987 agrees: “Over-the-top nonsense? Uh-huh, Helldivers. And what over-the-top, nonsense-filled film series has he led for quite a while? The Fast & Furious series.”
The opinions are thus divided. Therefore, we would now be interested in what you think about it. Do you believe a Helldivers movie could turn out well, especially with this director? Feel free to tell us in the comments. Starship Troopers, on the other hand, has since received a game itself: Star of the cult film Starship Troopers says: Train in Helldivers 2, but then blow up space bugs with me in our new game
