FromHeartstopper to FromSoftware: Kit Connor Leads Star-Studded Elden Ring Cast in IMAX Epic

LOS ANGELES — Kit Connor is trading high school romance for high-stakes fantasy as A24 and director Alex Garland officially launch production today on their highly anticipated, IMAX-filmed Elden Ring movie adaptation.

The Heartstopper heartthrob is officially entering the Lands Between, and the internet is already losing its collective mind. This isn’t just another video game movie; it’s a collision of indie film royalty and the most cryptic lore in gaming history.

For Kit Connor, this marks a definitive pivot away from his teenage-dream roots and into the brutal, atmospheric world crafted by Hidetaka Miyazaki and George R.R. Martin.

While fans are used to seeing him navigate the halls of Truham Grammar, they’re about to see him navigate a landscape filled with demigods and dragons.

From Heartstopper to the Lands Between

This is the big one. Kit Connor has been giving off major “main character energy” since he burst onto the scene, but joining a project with this much cultural weight is a different beast entirely. It’s a bold PR move that positions him as a serious leading man capable of carrying an action-heavy epic.

Stan Twitter is already divided into factions: half are celebrating his ascent, while the other half are frantically googling whether he has the grit to play a Tarnished warrior.

The mood in the fandom is a mix of electric excitement and deep-seated anxiety. Let’s be real for a second. Translating a game known for its silence and crushing difficulty into a narrative film is a nightmare task.

Can a guy who became a global icon for being the “golden retriever” boyfriend really survive a boss fight against Malenia?

Or are we going to see a side of Kit Connor that makes his previous work look like a playground?

A24 and Alex Garland Craft a Cinematic Boss Fight

As per the official announcement from A24 and Bandai Namco, this adaptation isn’t pulling any punches when it comes to the talent behind the lens.

Alex Garland, the mind behind Ex Machina and Civil War, is directing, which suggests we are getting something far more cerebral and haunting than a typical fantasy blockbuster.

This is A24’s biggest swing to date. They are betting on the fact that gamers want something more than just CGI monsters; they want the mood and the misery that made the game a masterpiece.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, filming begins today, April 20, 2026, and the production timeline is expansive.

We aren’t just looking at a soundstage in London. This is being shot for IMAX, meaning the scale of the Erdtree is going to be literally towering over audiences when it finally hits the big screen.

The A-List Tarnished Lineup

The cast list reads like a prestige drama wishlist. Joining Kit Connor are some of the most respected names in the business. Variety confirmed that Ben Whishaw and Cailee Spaeny are taking on lead roles alongside Connor, adding a level of dramatic gravitas that usually isn’t reserved for game adaptations.

The full cast includes:

Kit Connor
Ben Whishaw
Cailee Spaeny
Tom Burke
Nick Offerman
Jonathan Pryce
Emma Laird
Sonoya Mizuno
Havana Rose Liu

Seeing Nick Offerman’s name on a fantasy roster is an immediate win for the “dad-tier” fans, while the inclusion of Sonoya Mizuno confirms Garland is bringing his regular collaborators along for this dark ride. Tom Burke, fresh off his scenery-chewing role in Furiosa, adds even more muscle to an already heavy-hitting lineup.

March 2028: The Countdown to the Erdtree Begins

The timeline for this project is as massive as the game itself. We are officially on a two-year countdown, with a release date set for March 3, 2028. That might feel like an eternity in internet years, but for a production of this scale, it’s actually quite tight.

A24 is moving fast. They want to capture the lightning-in-a-bottle popularity of the franchise while it’s still at its peak.

This isn’t the only project on Kit Connor’s plate, though. Insiders have also noted he’s attached to a Netflix Charlie and the Chocolate Factory project with Taika Waititi, proving that the man is booked, busy, and completely unafraid of jumping between genres. But let’s be honest: Elden Ring is the project that will define his career for the next decade.

Whether he’s playing the protagonist or a pivotal NPC, he is now part of the most ambitious video game adaptation ever attempted.

Get your flasks ready. The path to the Elden Throne officially starts today.