Helldivers 2 Developers 'Don't, and Shouldn't, Have Final Say' on the Upcoming Movie

Sony surprised attendees at CES 2025 with several movie and TV announcements, including an official Helldivers 2 film. This collaboration between Sony Productions and Sony Pictures was revealed by Asad Qizilbash, head of PlayStation Productions, who stated they are developing a film adaptation of the popular PlayStation game.

Helldivers 2, developed by Arrowhead, draws inspiration from Starship Troopers, depicting future soldiers defending a fascist Super Earth regime against alien robots (Automatons) and bugs (Terminids), all while upholding "Managed Democracy."

While details remain scarce, Arrowhead CCO Johan Pilestedt confirmed some level of developer involvement to ensure faithfulness to the game. However, he acknowledged Arrowhead's lack of filmmaking expertise, suggesting they won't have final creative control—a decision he believes is appropriate. Pilestedt stated, "I've been dodging this question…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.”

The choice of Helldivers, especially considering the existing Starship Troopers franchise, is intriguing. The film appears to be in its early stages, so significant updates may be some time away.

Helldivers 2's immense success, with 12 million copies sold in just 12 weeks, making it the fastest-selling PlayStation Studios game ever, is further fueled by the recent Illuminate update, introducing a third playable faction.

Sony's CES 2025 presentation also included announcements of a Horizon Zero Dawn movie adaptation and a Ghost of Tsushima anime adaptation, highlighting their commitment to video game adaptations. This follows the success of HBO's The Last of Us, with Season 2 slated for April.