First Elden Ring A24 Movie Set Photos Reveal Kit Connor, Queen Marika

By Rafael Motamayor
Queen Marika shattered and imprisoned inside the Erdtree in Elden Ring FromSoftware

[Correction: An earlier version of this article stated that Emma Laird is playing Queen Marika in "Elden Ring," but that has yet to be confirmed.]

The "Elden Ring" movie is defying expectations for what a video game adaptation can be. Ever since it was first announced, any information that's been revealed about this production paints the picture of this likely being more than a simple tie-in film or an underwhelming attempt at translating an entire gaming experience onto celluloid. Instead, it's already making the case for potentially becoming one of the best video game movies ever, from the involvement of Alex Garland inspiring confidence in the artistic vision for the film to the huge budget making it plausible A24 can do the game justice.

After A24 announced the stellar cast of its "Elden Ring" adaptation earlier this week, we now have our first look at the set of the film. Among cool views of the props and set design that seem to be bringing the capital city of Leyndell to life, we have our very first look at Kit Connor on set.

Then there's the biggest news by far, which also gives us an idea of what the movie will cover in its story. Set photos reveal what is clearly the film's version of Queen Marika the Eternal:

This is huge news, because it means "Elden Ring" will actually feature characters from the FromSoftware game directed by Hidetaka Miyazaki rather than just tell a completely original story with brand new characters set in the world developed by George R.R. Martin. What's more, the set photos give us an idea of when the movie takes place.

Could A24's movie be a prequel to the Elden Ring game?

Queen Marika shattering the titular Elden Ring and causing The Shattering FromSoftware

We speculated before that the "Elden Ring" movie could be telling an entirely original story, but the inclusion of Queen Marika indicates we will see at least some of the larger canon established in the games.

Queen Marika the Eternal is a god who once ruled the Lands Between and acted as keeper of the Elden Ring — an artifact that serves as the physical manifestation of the idea of order. At some point, Marika shattered the Elden Ring and disappeared, leading her demigod children to wage war over pieces of the Ring in a cataclysmic event called the Shattering. The game takes place some time after the Shattering, its effects still rippling through the story of the game and through the very land itself, which is fractured, poisoned, and filled with death and monsters.

Because the player never really meets the queen during the events of the game, the inclusion of Queen Marika in the "Elden Ring" movie seems to indicate we might see the Lands Between before the Shattering. This is quite an exciting prospect, as it would justify the movie as actually adding to the overall "Elden Ring" experience by offering something even the games didn't. When it comes to video game adaptations, the best ones take a mostly original approach story-wise, while focusing on deepening the world-building and larger mythology of the game. Both "Arcane" and "Fallout" do this, telling original stories while still showing audiences bits from the source material's lore that was alluded to but never shown in the games.

"Elden Ring" is not a plot-heavy game, but it is a lore-heavy one, which makes sense, considering George R.R. Martin's involvement. By including Queen Marika at this point on the timeline, this movie is tapping into a huge world of possibilities.

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