David Leitch in Negotiations to Direct Netflix’s Gears of War Adaptation

by Annika May 18, 2025

David Leitch, director of The Fall Guy, is currently in talks to direct Netflix’s big-budget adaptation of the popular video game franchise, Gears of War. With writer Jon Spaihts handling the script, the film attracts significant partnership and talent including Netflix, The Coalition Studio, and Leitch’s own production company, 87North.

David Leitch in Negotiations to Direct Netflix’s Gears of War Adaptation

– Director David Leitch is in talks to direct Netflix’s adaptation of the Gears of War video game franchise, with the script written by Jon Spaihts.
– The film’s plot will revolve around the fight for survival against the Locust, monstrous underground creatures, with Netflix also planning to follow up with an adult animated series based on the game.
– Leitch, known for his action films like Deadpool 2 and Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, will produce this feature along with his wife, Kelly McCormick, and The Coalition Studio.

David Leitch, the director behind The Fall Guy, is currently in talks to spearhead Gears of War, a high-cost adaptation of the monumental Xbox video game franchise, under Netflix’s production.

The script will be penned by Jon Spaihts, who is also collaborating with Denis Villeneuve on converting Frank Herbert’s Dune series into a Legendary film. Netflix is joining forces with Canadian game developer The Coalition Studio, known for creating the Gears of War franchise, for this feature.

The production project will be under the control of Leitch, alongside his wife Kelly McCormick who is also his production collaborator. They will oversee the venture through their 87North banner in association with The Coalition.

Netflix refrained from expressing any views on the current deal-making process.

Set in a world teetering towards societal breakdown, the franchise features a looming threat from subterranean creatures named the Locust pushing humanity towards the brink of annihilation. Marcus Fenix, a discredited sergeant, leads the Delta Squad, a makeshift fireteam, tasked with the duty of protecting the remnants of humanity.

In November 2022, Netflix acquired the rights to the globally acclaimed video game franchise with lofty aims. It plans to first modify the game into a feature, followed by an adult touchscreen animation series. It anticipates to generate more projects if the initial ones garner success.

Leitch, hailing from the stunt field, is methodically amassing a diverse portfolio while focusing on the action genre. The Fall Guy, featuring Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt, was a tribute to the stunt and film production industry. Brad Pitt-led Bullet Train is a compact, suspenseful assassin thriller, while Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw is a franchise challenge. Leitch also boasts Deadpool 2, a comic book adaptation, and Atomic Blonde, a spy flick set in the past, in his repertoire.

Leitch is currently gearing up for How to Rob a Bank, an Amazon MGM bank robbery thriller starring Nicholas Hoult and Anna Sawai.