Popular video game Helldivers is set to get a film adaptation soon from director Justin Lin, known for his work on the Fast and Furious action movies.
Besides directing, Lin will also serve as the producer for the film through his Perfect Storm Entertainment banner, along with Hutch Parker and PlayStation Productions’ Asad Qizilbash and Carter Swan. The upcoming film has been scripted for the screen by Gary Dauberman, the writer behind notable horror hits like It and Annabelle.
The game was first released in 2015 to rave reviews while its sequel Helldivers 2 sold over 12 million units across PS 5 and PC in its first four months alone when it hit markets last year.
The Helldivers follow a specialised squad of elite soldiers tasked with protecting the galaxy from hostile alien forces — most commonly referred to as Bugs, Cyborgs, and the Illuminate. These enemies pose a constant threat to the fragile, propaganda-driven regime known as Super Earth. With elements like mutated spores and reanimated alien carcasses entering the mix, the franchise leans fully into its chaotic sci-fi horror roots, delivering an all-out extraterrestrial battlefield spectacle.
Although Lin is not a gamer, he wanted to helm the project, revealed sources to The Hollywood Reporter. Lin’s focus is on revealing the human core of these larger-than-life figures, layering in resonant themes and broadening the franchise’s world and mythology in meaningful ways.
He continues to be attached to Brzrkr, the Netflix adaptation of Keanu Reeves’ comic series, but is no longer involved with Amazon MGM’s crime thriller Stakehorse.
Lin played a pivotal role in transforming the Fast and Furious franchise into a global box-office juggernaut. After making his series debut with The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, he returned to direct Fast & Furious, Fast Five, Fast & Furious 6, and F9: The Fast Saga, films that together amassed over $2.6 billion worldwide. He also directed Star Trek Beyond, the concluding chapter of the rebooted Star Trek trilogy. Most recently, Lin revisited his independent filmmaking roots with Last Days.