Nobody 2's Director to Helm Netflix’s Gears of War Adaptation

Netflix’s Gears of War Adaptation is in work.

David Leitch and Kelly McCormick, the producing duo behind Nobody 2, are gearing up for one of their most ambitious projects yet — Netflix’s live-action Gears of War movie.

In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, McCormick confirmed that script development is finally moving forward, with acclaimed screenwriter Jon Spaihts (Dune, Prometheus) working on the screenplay.

The project has been on fans’ radar for years, but only recently started showing signs of life. Netflix first secured the rights in 2022, and Leitch officially signed on as director in May. According to reports, Spaihts has been balancing work on Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Three, but now the Gears script is getting proper attention.

McCormick revealed that there’s "a lot of energy" from both Netflix and The Coalition, the game studio behind the franchise, as the latter is releasing a game in 2026.

What is Gears of War About?

For those less familiar, Gears of War is a sci-fi action series set on the planet Sera, where humanity faces an existential threat from the subterranean Locust Horde. The franchise’s central figure, Marcus Fenix, is a battle-hardened soldier brought back into service after being imprisoned for desertion. Alongside his comrade Dom Santiago, Marcus leads humanity’s desperate fight for survival against overwhelming odds. The games blend intense firefights with emotional storytelling, which makes them ripe for cinematic adaptation.

The movie has been a long time coming. Efforts to bring Gears of War to the big screen date back to 2007, when New Line Cinema first acquired the rights. The project has since bounced between studios, including Universal, before landing at Netflix. As per The Collider, Netflix sees Gears as one of its tentpole gaming adaptations, alongside the in-development Bioshock movie.

Future of the Franchise

Interestingly, the film could align with major gaming milestones. The Coalition confirmed Gears of War: E-Day, set to release in 2026 as a prequel that explores the catastrophic Emergence Day. Co-developed with People Can Fly and published by Xbox Game Studios, the game will follow younger versions of Marcus Fenix and Dom Santiago during humanity’s first encounter with the Locust Horde.

Meanwhile, fans don’t have to wait until 2026 to dive back in. Just this week, on August 26, 2025, Gears of War: Reloaded — a remaster of the original 2006 game — is going to launch. Building upon the Ultimate Edition released in 2015, it offers updated visuals and gameplay tweaks, giving both veterans and newcomers a chance to revisit the origins of the saga.

Casting and What’s Next

As for the movie’s cast, nothing has been finalized. However, fans have been vocal about wanting Dave Bautista in the role of Marcus Fenix — a sentiment Bautista himself has openly supported. With Leitch’s proven action pedigree from films like Bullet Train and The Fall Guy, expectations are understandably high.