Deadpool 2 Director Says Netflix’s Gears of War Movie Just Leveled Up

If you’ve been quietly waiting for that Gears of War movie to finally escape the pit of development limbo, there’s actually some halfway encouraging news. David Leitch, who directed Deadpool 2 (so yes, the man knows his way around violent spectacle), is still in the director’s chair, and he just served up a refreshingly solid update on where things stand.

Here’s Where the Gears of War Movie Stands

Leitch has been attached to this project at Netflix for almost a year now, script work is being done by Jon Spaihts (the guy who helped write Dune), and—despite the usual radio silence on casting and actual production dates—it sounds like things are finally starting to move toward actually happening.

While talking to Collider, Leitch made it pretty clear Netflix hasn’t lost interest. In his own words:

'Gears of War, I think, is going to happen. We have a great draft that's in progress, that's in really great shape. The studio's more determined than ever to make it. Netflix is 100% behind it. The Coalition is fired up, as well. They have their game releasing this year, and so it's all lining up that that movie will happen.'

To translate: Netflix is actually pushing for this. The Coalition (the game studio) is part of it. The script is apparently not garbage. They’ve got a new Gears of War game (‘Gears of War: E-Day’) coming in 2026, so timing-wise it all looks shockingly coordinated—for once.

Backstory of the Netflix Deal

Netflix announced it was going after Gears of War back in November 2022, strategically timing the news for the game’s 16th anniversary. They locked up the rights with The Coalition, and rolled out big plans: first, a live-action movie (the one Leitch is directing), then an adult animated series, and maybe even more if those land. In other words: this is not some one-and-done thing. They’re all-in on building a full Gears universe... assuming, of course, any of this actually gets made.

Quick Gears of War Refresher

• The original game dropped in 2006 (yes, that was somehow 18 years ago).
• The story follows Marcus Fenix and Delta Squad, humanity’s last hope against a bunch of underground reptilian monsters called the Locust.
• If you like your sci-fi grim and full of chainsaw guns—this is your thing.
• The next big game, Gears of War: E-Day, is targeting a 2026 release, so the synergy with the movie is pretty obvious.

About David Leitch (the Guy in Charge)

Leitch started as a stunt coordinator, but he’s got a long string of action hits—uncredited co-director on John Wick, then Atomic Blonde, Deadpool 2, Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, Bullet Train, and most recently The Fall Guy. Next up for him is How to Rob a Bank, which is set for theaters on September 4, 2026.

At this point, nobody has been officially cast and nobody has announced a start date, so don’t cancel your 2025 plans just yet. But based on Leitch’s enthusiasm and the Netflix/Coalition tag team, it genuinely looks like the Gears of War adaptation might finally break the streak of famous video game movies that just never materialize.

Stay tuned—because hearing 'we’re closer than ever' from a director doesn’t always mean much in Hollywood, but at least nobody’s pretending the project doesn’t exist.