Guardians of the Galaxy actor Dave Bautista says he’s been trying for years to get a Gears of War film off the ground, but it just hasn’t worked out yet. Ever since the franchise debuted in 2006, Gears of War has endeared itself to audiences all over the world with its blend of high-octane action, gory horror, science fiction storytelling, and huge guns with chainsaw bayonets.
In today’s world of multimedia synergy, it’s almost surprising to learn there are no Gears of War movies, TV shows, or animated projects. However, that doesn’t mean Hollywood hasn’t tried. Gears of War movie plans were first announced back in 2007, and the decade afterwards was marked by a seemingly endless stream of false starts and development woes, including directors dropping out and the budget constantly being reworked. However, if Bautista had his way, Gears of War would be a much higher priority for Universal, the studio currently in charge of the film.
Responding to a fan shout-out on Twitter, Bautista said Hollywood was aware of the Gears brand, but “they could give AF.” Though he didn’t go into detail, the former wrestler insisted he “tried everything to make this happen.” Bautista has long been embraced by the Gears community as the go-to choice to play series protagonist Marcus Fenix, as he is one of the few actors on the planet who truly captures the intimidating muscular stature of the popular video game character.
The Gears of War series is entering into a new era with the next mainline title, Gears 5, looking to double down on the intimate storytelling that has long been the franchise’s secret weapon against its contemporaries. Meanwhile, spin-off title Gears Tactics aims to expand the brand’s appeal to fans of strategy combat sims. Finally, Gears POP! also exists for mobile devices, which is surely exciting to somebody, somewhere.
Video game movies have long had a tough time at the box office, with hits like Lara Croft: Tomb Raider and Pokémon Detective Pikachu proving few and far between. Gears of War is a massive sci-fi epic, and it would likely require a considerable budgetary investment to capture the aesthetic of the game. The video games are also notoriously violent (did we mention the chainsaw bayonets?), and Hollywood is generally unwilling to give the green light to R-rated films with blockbuster budgets.
Sooner or later, the Gears of War movie will probably happen. In November 2018, screenwriter F. Scott Frazier was hired to write the script, though time will tell whether or not this is yet another false start for a film which has experienced many over the course of its long history.
More: Casting the Gears of War Movie
Source: Dave Bautista/Twitter
