At the tech-focused CES 2025, Sony made some unexpected announcements regarding new movie and TV show projects, including the confirmation of an official film adaptation of the popular PlayStation game, Helldivers 2. This project is a collaboration between Sony Productions and Sony Pictures, though specifics remain under wraps. During the CES event, Asad Qizilbash, head of PlayStation Productions, expressed enthusiasm about the project, stating, "Looking ahead as to what might come next, I'm excited to announce we are working with Sony Pictures on developing a film adaptation of our amazingly popular PlayStation game Helldivers 2."
Helldivers 2, developed by Arrowhead, draws significant inspiration from the cult classic sci-fi satire, Starship Troopers. The game follows future soldiers fighting to protect a fascist regime called Super Earth against alien threats known as Automatons and Terminids, all while promoting the concept of "Managed Democracy."
The announcement has sparked numerous questions from fans about the upcoming Helldivers 2 movie, yet neither Sony nor Arrowhead has provided detailed answers. Johan Pilestedt, Arrowhead's CCO, addressed a query on X/Twitter about the developer's involvement in the film's production to maintain its fidelity to the games. Pilestedt admitted to evading the question previously but confirmed that Arrowhead would have some input. However, he emphasized that the team would not have creative control over the movie, suggesting this approach is appropriate. "I've been dodging this question," Pilestedt said. "The short answer is yes. The long answer is that we'll see. We are not Hollywood people, and we don't know what it takes to make a movie. And therefore we don't, and shouldn't, have final say."
Given the thematic similarities between Helldivers 2 and Starship Troopers, the choice of Helldivers 2 for a movie adaptation may seem unusual. It will be intriguing to see how Sony approaches this adaptation and which creative talents they enlist. The project appears to be in its infancy, so more details may not surface for some time.
Helldivers 2 has been a phenomenal success, becoming the fastest-selling PlayStation Studios game ever with 12 million copies sold within just 12 weeks. The game is currently experiencing a resurgence thanks to the release of the much-anticipated Illuminate update, which introduces a new faction for players to battle.
In addition to the Helldivers 2 film, Sony's CES 2025 press conference also revealed plans for a movie adaptation of Guerrilla's Horizon Zero Dawn and an anime adaptation of Sucker Punch's Ghost of Tsushima. Sony is clearly committed to expanding its video game IPs into other media, with Season 2 of the acclaimed HBO series The Last of Us set to premiere in April.
