Exclusive: Elden Ring movie begins filming in London — set photos reveal massive production

The hugely-anticipated Elden Ring movie has begun filming in London — and we’ve got some exclusive photos from the set.

A24’s massive fantasy epic, based on the 2022 Bandai Namco game of the same name, has taken over the Greenwich Naval College in South London, with hundreds of members of cast and crew re-imagining the historical setting as a foggy medieval thoroughfare.

Closed to the public, we went down to see the filming in action. Here’s what we saw (and read on for everything else we know about the Elden Ring movie so far)...

If you were in any doubt that it’s the Elden Ring film being shot, here’s director / writer Alex Garland on set — he’s the one with the grey hair and beard:

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There were dozens and dozens of extras near and on the set, all wearing medieval garb:

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The area had also been covered in dry ice and smoke to add to the misty / mystical / mysterious feel. Though there were many actors and physical props on show, there was also the presence of green screens, likely to extend the setting and make it possible to add giant scenery like the game's iconic giant 'Erdtree':

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The scene itself appeared to show some sort of market or town square, with many peasant extras, armoured soldiers (and a few goats) wandering around stalls, carts and tents:

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Ahead of filming, we were also able to see some of the construction work for the sets in close up:

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Additionally, Reddit user Continuent also came across the set during set up ahead of filming, and shared some photos online, littered with details:

This first image shows the area where the main filming was taking place today — a box to the bottom left reads ‘Leyndell Streets’. This would refer to the game’s Royal Capital city, which sits at the foot of the giant 'Erdtree' which dominates the game’s skyline. We can assume that's what Greenwich's Naval College is doubling up as.

A second image revealed a box of brooms and props labelled ‘Stormveil’ — a key castle location in the game, home to Godrick the Grafted boss.

A third image showed off an array of cages and lanterns which look the spit of those hanging from the ceiling in Raya Lucaria, the wizarding school of The Lands Between.

With the Naval College’s Painted Hall also closed off for filming, it’s easy to imagine it being decorated with these lanterns and acting as that location in the game. It’s pictured in its usual state above.

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Finally, there’s this gallows-like beam — unremarkable by itself until you note that it’s identical to the one in the game’s opening cutscene, upon which the ‘Dung Eater’ character is hung (a bit of a wrong-un who curses his victims).

Who has been cast in the Elden Ring movie?

We’ve also now got a full, star-studded cast run-down for the film. The Elden Ring movie will star:

• Kit Connor (Warfare, Hearstopper)
• Ben Whishaw (Skyfall, Perfume, Paddington)
• Cailee Spaeny (Alien: Romulus, Pricilla, Civil War)
• Tom Burke (Furiosa, Mank)
• Havana Rose Liu (Tuner, Bottoms)
• Sonoya Mizuno (Ex Machina, Annihilation)
• Jonathan Pryce (Brazil, Pirates of the Caribbean)
• Ruby Cruz (For All Mankind, Bottoms)
• Nick Offerman (The Last of Us, Parks and Recreation)
• John Hodgkinson (Skyfall, Napoleon)
• Jefferson Hall (House of the Dragon, Tenet, Oppenheimer)
• Emma Laird (28 Years Later, The Brutalist)
• Peter Serafinowicz (Guardians of the Galaxy, Star Wars: Episode I)

Eagle-eyed fans of Garland’s work will see plenty of familiar faces in that cast list, with the director turning to regular collaborators for Elden Ring.

Lead Kit Connor worked with Garland before on Warfare, while Cailee Spaeny was in Garland’s TV show Devs and movie Civil War. Sonoya Mizuno and Nick Offerman were both also in Devs, while Mizuno was in Ex Machina and Annihilation, too:

There’s no word yet on who is playing who (or what), but there seem to be some obvious character look-a-likes lined up here. Most notable is Emma Laird — the 28 Years Later star certainly has the hair for Queen Marika, and her Instagram post playing the game with her character outside the Church of Marika certainly raised eyebrows. We’d also imagine Spaeny as Melina, who follows the player character throughout the game. And as Kit Connor is to take the lead, we’re going to guess he’s down to play Vyke, the tragic knight on the game’s cover — a story that’s perhaps the most obvious in-game tale to adapt.

What’s the Elden Ring movie about?

While no plot details have been shared yet, knowing the game we can make a good guess as to what’s going to be happening in the Elden Ring film.

A dark fantasy tale set in ‘The Lands Between’, the Elden Ring is a powerful and mysterious artifact, destroyed, with its remains cast throughout the world. The goddess Marika’s monstrous demigod children collect these shards, leading to a war for power from which no one ruler emerges. In the game, the player faces a menagerie of warriors and creatures in an attempt to secure and reforge the Elden Ring. With the lore well fleshed out, we’d expect the film to follow the world’s fall into ruin and war.

Yes, it’s all a bit weird and silly, but beneath that high concept there’s great potential not only for a Game of Thrones-like tale of ambition and corruption, but also one of great spectacle — the beasts of Elden Ring are inventive and wild to behold.

It’s worth remembering that the original concept for Elden Ring’s rough story was put together by Game Of Thrones creator George R. R. Martin, along with Hidetaka Miyazaki, the lead at game development studio FromSoftware (and also responsible for the long line of influential Dark Souls games to which Elden Ring is a spiritual successor). It’s not clear yet how involved either will be with this new film project.

Where is Elden Ring filming?

Alongside the London locations, Elden Ring is filming across England, Scotland and Wales (specifically Conwy Castle in Wales), and will be heading to Iceland for additional scenes this summer. The country, that is, not the supermarket.

Leaked footage from an undisclosed location in England earlier this month revealed a recreated ruins set, which seems to depict the game's 'First Church of Marika':

More footage of the Elden Ring movie set! from r/Eldenring

What is the Elden Ring movie release date?

Filming for the Elden Ring movie may have kicked off, but we’re in for a long wait until its release. The A24 production is set to release on March 3rd, 2028. So that’s close to a two year wait until it finally hits screens.

Will the Elden Ring movie actually be good?

Is the Elden Ring movie the most ambitious video game adaptation to date? Quite possibly — it’s a difficult film to make for many reasons. Not only is it hugely beloved — it’s rated as one of the greatest games of all time, and has sold upwards of 30 million copies — its fans are rabid lore fiends who will want as accurate an adaptation of the source material as possible.

That won’t necessarily be easy — the game certainly has an interesting setting and aesthetic, but its narrative is quite loosely revealed, with the player character protagonist a silent adventurer rather than wisecracking knight. Not only that, but its world is vast and fantastical, meaning the art department has its work cut out for it.

But some of these issues could also be seen as a blessing for writer / director Alex Garland, who can use the flexibility of the source material to weave his own grand narrative through the iconic locations and themes of the game. Garland is one of the most interesting directors and writers of his generation too, working as either writer, director, or both on hits such as 28 Days / Years Later, Ex Machina, Devs, Civil War, Dredd and Annihilation. He’s definitely got an eye for the weird and creepy.

Perhaps most reassuring of all? He’s a MASSIVE Elden Ring fan, with as many as SIX ‘New Game+’ runs under his belt. We’d say it’s in safe hands, then.

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