Helldivers 2 Dev Arrowhead Addresses Upcoming Movie Adaptation

Summary

• Arrowhead Game Studios CCO Johan Pilestedt addressed the studio's role in the Helldivers 2 movie adaptation, stating, "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."
• Fans hope Arrowhead's involvement will ensure the film stays true to the game's spirit, rejecting ideas like a "gamer wakes up in the Helldivers universe" plotline.
• Sony announced the Helldivers 2 movie, a Horizon Zero Dawn adaptation, and a Ghost of Tsushima animation at CES 2025.

Democracy is coming to the big screen! Sony's announcement of a live-action Helldivers 2 movie has generated excitement, and Arrowhead Game Studios' CCO Johan Pilestedt has clarified the studio's participation. This announcement, made at CES 2025, accompanied reveals of a Horizon Zero Dawn movie adaptation and a Ghost of Tsushima animation.

The co-op third-person shooter Helldivers 2, released in February 2024, quickly gained popularity for its intense combat against Terminids and Automatons, and its humorous camaraderie. Building on this success, Arrowhead is developing its next project, with updates planned throughout 2025 for the game's Super Earth setting. Pilestedt emphasized the team's openness to community feedback in shaping this new title.

Sony revealed the Helldivers 2 movie is a collaboration between Sony Productions and Sony Pictures, though PlayStation Productions head Asad Qizilbash offered few details. Given the community's strong attachment to the source material, fans questioned Arrowhead's involvement. Pilestedt, acknowledging previous evasiveness on the topic, confirmed the studio's participation while emphasizing, "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."

Helldivers 2 Dev Discusses Arrowhead's Role in Film Adaptation

Helldivers fans are passionate about capturing the game's essence in the film. To achieve this, the community strongly advocates for significant Arrowhead involvement to maintain thematic and stylistic fidelity. Concerns were raised on Twitter about producers and writers potentially straying from the source material, with the "gamer wakes up in the Helldivers universe" plotline specifically cited as an undesirable direction. Many believe Arrowhead should have significant input on the script, themes, and overall aesthetic, with some even suggesting the Helldivers characters should never remove their helmets.

While the Helldivers 2 movie promises thrilling action, comparisons to the cult classic Starship Troopers have emerged. This 1997 sci-fi action film, directed by Paul Verhoeven and based on Robert A. Heinlein's novel, features a war against alien Arachnids. Helldivers fans hope the film can differentiate itself from Starship Troopers, perhaps by avoiding the common trope of insectoid aliens.