Word on the street is that Justin Lin, the man behind many of the Fast & Furious entries, has been tapped to direct the live-action adaptation of Helldivers.

Lin is no stranger to turning franchises into global juggernauts; his work on The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, Fast Five, Fast & Furious 6, F9, and Fast X helped the series rake in a staggering 2.66 billion dollars worldwide. He’s also dabbled in the sci-fi realm, having directed 2016's Star Trek Beyond. More recently, he helmed the indie flick Last Days and is currently busy working on a live-action One Punch Man film.

According to reports from outlets like Variety, Lin is playing a cheeky card by framing his lack of gaming experience as an asset rather than a drawback. He has reportedly pitched Sony a vision focused on exploring the human side of the characters and weaving timely themes into the game's expansive mythology. Meanwhile, Lin remains firmly attached to the adaptation of the Keanu Reeves-penned comic BRZRKR over at Netflix.

The Helldivers franchise first hit our screens in 2015, but it was the 2024 arrival of Helldivers 2 that truly set the world on fire. Within just four months of launch, the sequel shifted over 12 million units across PS5 and PC. Built on a foundation of chaotic co-op, sharp humour, and relentless action, the game has recently expanded its reach to Xbox. Sony Pictures and PlayStation Productions are old hands at this, having previously churned out the Tom Holland-led Uncharted, which pulled in 407 million dollars globally, marking it as one of the more successful game-to-film outings. They’ve also been instrumental in bringing HBO’s The Last of Us and Peacock’s Twisted Metal to life.