Helldivers 2 Movie: Developers Shouldn't Have Final Say

Sony made a splash at the tech-centric CES 2025 with several unexpected announcements regarding new movie and TV show projects, including the revelation that a film adaptation of the popular PlayStation game, Helldivers 2, is in development. This project is a collaboration between Sony Productions and Sony Pictures, though specifics remain under wraps. Asad Qizilbash, head of PlayStation Productions, shared the exciting news on-stage at CES, stating, "Looking ahead as to what might come next, I'm excited to announce we are working with Sony Pictures on developing a film adaptation of our amazingly popular PlayStation game Helldivers 2."

Helldivers 2, crafted by Arrowhead, draws heavily from the cult classic sci-fi satire, Starship Troopers. The game immerses players in a future where they must defend a fascist Super Earth regime against alien threats, including robots known as Automatons and bugs called Terminids, all while promoting the concept of "Managed Democracy."

While fans are buzzing with questions about the upcoming Helldivers 2 movie, neither Sony nor Arrowhead has provided detailed answers yet. However, Arrowhead's Chief Creative Officer, Johan Pilestedt, responded to a query on X/Twitter about the developer's involvement in the film's production. Pilestedt admitted to dodging the question initially but confirmed that Arrowhead would have some input, though not creative control. He explained, "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."

Choosing Helldivers 2 for a movie adaptation might seem unusual, especially given the presence of Starship Troopers. It will be fascinating to see how Sony approaches this adaptation and who they select to bring it to life. The project appears to be in its infancy, suggesting that more concrete details may be some time away.

Helldivers 2 has already made history as the fastest-selling PlayStation Studios game ever, with an astonishing 12 million copies sold in just 12 weeks. The game is currently experiencing a revival thanks to the much-anticipated Illuminate update, which introduces a third faction for players to battle against.

In addition to Helldivers 2, Sony's CES 2025 press conference also unveiled plans for a movie adaptation of Guerrilla's Horizon Zero Dawn and an anime adaptation of Sucker Punch's Ghost of Tsushima. Sony is clearly doubling down on transforming its video game IPs into cinematic experiences, with Season 2 of the critically acclaimed HBO series, The Last of Us, set to premiere in April.