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

Sony's CES 2025 showcase surprised attendees with several movie and TV adaptations of its PlayStation games, including the confirmation of a Helldivers 2 film.

This cinematic venture is a joint effort between Sony Productions and Sony Pictures. While specifics remain scarce, Asad Qizilbash, head of PlayStation Productions, made the announcement at CES, stating their collaboration on a film adaptation of the popular PlayStation title.

Helldivers 2, developed by Arrowhead Games, draws significant inspiration from the cult classic Starship Troopers, depicting futuristic soldiers defending a fascist Super Earth regime against robotic Automatons and insectoid Terminids, all while upholding the principles of "Managed Democracy."

Naturally, fans have numerous questions, which both Sony and Arrowhead are currently unable to answer fully. However, Arrowhead's CCO, Johan Pilestedt, responded to an inquiry on X/Twitter regarding the developer's involvement in ensuring the film's faithfulness to the game.

Pilestedt admitted to previously avoiding the question but confirmed Arrowhead will have some input. He emphasized, however, that the team won't possess creative control, a decision he believes is appropriate, given their lack of film production expertise. He 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 for adaptation, especially considering the existence of Starship Troopers, is intriguing. The project appears to be in its early stages, so substantial details likely won't surface for some time.

Helldivers 2 boasts remarkable success, achieving the title of fastest-selling PlayStation Studios game ever, with 12 million copies sold within 12 weeks. Its popularity has recently surged following the release of the highly anticipated Illuminate update, introducing a third playable faction.

Sony's CES 2025 presentation also revealed a film adaptation of Guerrilla Games' Horizon Zero Dawn and an anime adaptation of Sucker Punch Productions' Ghost of Tsushima. This demonstrates Sony's strong commitment to video game adaptations, further highlighted by the upcoming April release of Season 2 of the successful HBO series, The Last of Us.