A24 isn’t the studio we think of when we talk about big film productions. But with Elden Ring that’s going to change. To adapt FromSoftware’s most successful video game, they’re going to spend between 175 and 200 million dollars, making it the most expensive film they’ve ever made by a wide margin over the next most expensive. But what we didn’t know is that there’s a catch. Because A24 isn’t the only one involved. And it’s already breaking records in the process.
An indie with a blockbuster budget
The film, co-produced by A24, DNA Films and Bandai Namco, was presented at the American Film Market and has become the highest-budget independent film project in history to be offered for sale at a film and TV distribution rights market. That’s exceptional because films of this scale usually come from major traditional studios and have global distribution networks behind them even before they start shooting.
What is exceptional about Elden Ring is that A24 is handling a major-studio budget, but operating as an independent company. But we now know how that was possible. Because it signed an pre-sale deal with Amazon MGM Studios for the international streaming rights, which will allow it to recoup much of the initial budget.
This means that A24 will pocket tens of millions of dollars before it even starts shooting the film and that Amazon will make sure it has the rights to stream it once it finishes its theatrical run. That will happen on March 3, 2028, if everything stays on track, after the potential buyers read the 180-page script at the American Film Market.
