Alan Ritchson, the lead of Prime Video’s Reacher, is in discussions with Sony to star in a film adaptation of the Helldivers games. Jason Momoa was previously attached to headline the project but left in early June because of “creative differences”.
Alan Ritchson’s film and television career
Ritchson is best known for playing Jack Reacher in Prime Video’s popular action series. His recent leading roles include the thriller Motor City and Netflix’s War Machine.
His earlier credits include Smallville, Blue Mountain State, Titans, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014) and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. He also worked with prospective Helldivers director Justin Lin on Fast X.
What we know about the Helldivers film
Sony announced the Helldivers movie at CES in 2025 and subsequently teased it during the company’s CinemaCon presentation in April 2026. Gary Dauberman, the writer behind the It films and Annabelle, wrote the initial screenplay.
Justin Lin is directing the project and will produce it with Hutch Parker and Asad Qizilbash. Sony has not released detailed plot information, but the games establish the basic premise: Super Earth’s supposedly elite soldiers suffer brutal deaths while battling alien enemies their own side attacked first.
The original Helldivers and Helldivers 2 are satirical military games influenced by Paul Verhoeven’s Starship Troopers. Their human forces are portrayed as fascist villains rather than uncomplicated heroes. A key question for the adaptation is whether it retains that satire or becomes a more conventional action film.
Sony currently has the movie scheduled for release on 10 November 2027. Follow the latest gaming developments through the RETROCADE Arcade Blog and watch the latest arcade videos.
Sony’s growing video game adaptation slate
The Helldivers project is part of Sony’s broader collection of game adaptations. Its God of War television series recently cast Dave Bautista as Kratos, while films based on Death Stranding, Bloodborne and Horizon Zero Dawn are in development.
The slate also includes a Ghost of Tsushima anime and the continuation of HBO’s The Last of Us. While these projects take shape, Australian players can browse RETROCADE’s arcade machines or use the arcade machine buying guide when comparing a home setup.
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