Horizon Zero Dawn Live-Action Movie Locks In Release Window With Major Filming Update
From the Forbidden West to the silver screen: Aloy’s Hollywood quest just took a major step forward.
Horizon Zero Dawn is finally stepping out of the vague-development shadows and into an actual timeline. Yes, the live-action movie is real, and it has dates attached. Sort of.
Where things stand right now
- Sony plans to start filming in 2026, aiming to release the movie in 2027.
- The project has a working script.
- They do not have a director yet, and casting is still a mystery.
How we found out (and why it is a bit of a weird place to learn this)
This update did not come from a flashy announcement or a teaser. It popped up in a legal document tied to Sony's lawsuit against Tencent over something called Light of Motiram. The Game Post obtained the filing, which includes comments from PlayStation Productions' Asad Qizilbash confirming the script is in play and that a 2026 shoot is the plan. Not the usual route for a movie update, but here we are.
Quick rewind: from 'early stages' to actual dates
"Early stages"
Earlier this year, Sony described the Horizon adaptation that way. Now, with a script and a target production window, it is clearly inching forward. Still, no director is attached, which is a big missing piece before the rest of the puzzle (like casting) falls into place.
Who is making it
Sony's Columbia Pictures is steering the movie. They are the same studio behind two other recent PlayStation-to-theaters efforts: Tom Holland's 'Uncharted' (2022) and 'Gran Turismo' (2023). On the TV side, Sony is also behind HBO's 'The Last of Us', which has season 3 in the works. So, yes, the company has been leaning hard into game adaptations across the board.
The Netflix version that did not happen
Back in 2022, Horizon Zero Dawn was announced as a Netflix series with 'The Umbrella Academy' showrunner Steve Blackman developing it. That plan fizzled. Instead, Sony pivoted to a feature film at Columbia. Same universe, different format, new path.
What Horizon Zero Dawn actually is (for the uninitiated)
The award-winning game follows Aloy, a young hunter in a far-future world where deadly machines dominate the landscape. She sets out to uncover where she came from and why the world is the way it is. If the movie sticks the landing, that mix of mystery, big sci-fi ideas, and robot-dino spectacle could translate nicely to the big screen.
What we still do not know
Pretty much everything in front of the camera: no cast, no director, no confirmed creative team beyond the studio side. Those announcements should start happening once a filmmaker signs on.
The broader wave of game-to-film continues
Horizon Zero Dawn is joining a crowded slate of video game movies on the way, including next year's 'Super Mario Bros Galaxy' movie and sequels like 'Five Nights at Freddy's 2' and 'Mortal Kombat 2'. If you are into game adaptations, the pipeline is not slowing down.