Hit 2017 action role-playing game Horizon Zero Dawn is set to receive a big-budget live-action movie adaptation. Developed by Guerrilla Games and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment, the game follows a young hunter named Aloy, in a world overrun by machines, who sets out to find out more about her past. Receiving critical acclaim, scooping numerous awards, and selling more than 24 million copies, the game has become one of PlayStation 4’s best games, and spawned a sequel, a spin-off, and the epic game could be coming to the big screen.
At the recent Sony CES 2025 conference, video game journalist Geoff Keighley confirms an announcement by Sony that a movie adaptation of Horizon Zero Dawn is set to enter development. Posting a picture from the audience of the Horizon poster above the stage, he captions the post “Horizon Zero Dawn will now become a major motion picture from Columbia Pictures and PlayStation Productions.” Check out his post below:
What This Means For The Horizon Adaption
The Rich & Layered World Lends Itself To A Big Screen Dynamic
In 2022, Sony Pictures announced a TV adaptation of the Horizon franchise, but it seems that the company has now pivoted to a big-screen adaptation, and the game will become a movie instead. Whilst a film adaptation will not invite the narrative scope and character arcs that a long-form TV show could provide, the visual beauty and dynamism of the world makes it ideally suited to a theatrical environment, and this could well have influenced the decision.
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The addition of Columbia Pictures, who will work alongside PlayStation productions on the movie is also a huge positive, with the former being well-versed in epic video game adaptations following the Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg Uncharted adaptation. Their experience will be essential in helping PlayStation (and Sony) to produce the best possible movie that understands and respects its source material.
Our Verdict On A Horizon Zero Dawn Movie
The Film Could Take A Page From Avatar’s Book
Whilst it is highly improbable that the movie would have the success or budget of the Avatar movies, they would be a fine source of inspiration for a Horizon movie, which will be looking to create a world with stunning visuals and pulse-pounding action. It’s unclear what the storyline will be, and whether the adaptation will farm ideas from the original game, sequel, and Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered, but whatever direction the creative team chooses to go, this will need to be a movie that looks stunning, in order to fit with the aesthetic of the Horizon world.
Source: X/Geoff Keighley
Horizon Zero Dawn
- Franchise
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Horizon Zero Dawn
- Released
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February 28, 2017
- Developer(s)
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Guerrilla Games
- Publisher(s)
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Sony
- Engine
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Decima
- ESRB
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T for Teen – Blood, Drug Reference, Language, Mild Sexual Themes, Violence
- How Long To Beat
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22½ Hours
- Platforms
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PlayStation 4
- PC Release Date
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August 7, 2020
- Publishers
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Sony Computer Entertainment
- Steam Deck Compatibility
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Verified
- OpenCritic Rating
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Mighty
