Arrowhead CEO Responds to Call for the Helldivers Movie Director to Play the Game at Least Once

IGN
Wed, 03 Dec 2025 14:02:10 +0000

Arrowhead CEO Shams Jorjani addressed fan concerns regarding Justin Lin's direction of the Helldivers movie, noting Lin's non-gamer status. Jorjani expressed trust in Lin's vision, referencing his successful work on Star Trek. Fans worry that Lin's lack of gaming experience may affect the film's authenticity. Jorjani emphasized that Arrowhead should not dictate the film's direction, acknowledging their lack of expertise in filmmaking.

2025-12-04 | Eurogamer: "I trust Justin" - Arrowhead CEO responds to Helldivers 2 community asking for film director to play the game

Arrowhead CEO Shams Jorjani expressed confidence in Justin Lin, the newly-announced director for the Helldivers film adaptation, despite Lin not being a gamer. This response came after community skepticism on Discord regarding Lin's gaming experience. Jorjani emphasized trust in Lin's vision, referencing his success with the Star Trek movie. The Helldivers film was announced in January, with Arrowhead involved in a limited capacity. A fan-made Helldivers film is currently available on YouTube.

2025-12-04 | VGC: ‘Let Justin Lin work his magic’: Arrowhead CEO says the Helldivers movie director doesn’t need to have played the game

Arrowhead Game Studios' CEO Shams Jorjani has urged Helldivers fans to trust director Justin Lin, who will helm the upcoming live-action movie adaptation. Despite concerns about Lin's lack of gaming experience, Jorjani expressed confidence in his vision, emphasizing Lin's ability to infuse humanity and timely themes into the story. The film, produced by Sony Pictures and PlayStation Productions, features a script by Gary Dauberman. Helldivers 2 was a major success, selling 15 million copies by November 2024.

2025-12-04 | Push Square: Don't Worry That the Helldivers Film Director Hasn't Played the Game

Justin Lin, known for directing Fast & Furious films, will direct the Helldivers movie adaptation despite not having played the games. This has raised concerns among some fans on Discord about his understanding of the game's tone. Arrowhead Studios CEO Shams Jorjani expressed trust in Lin's vision, noting his success with the Star Trek film. The script is penned by Gary Dauberman, with PlayStation Productions and Sony Pictures involved in the project.

2025-12-04 | GameSpot: Helldivers Movie Director Doesn't Play Games, And Game Boss Says That's Just Fine

A Helldivers movie is in development, directed by Justin Lin, known for Fast and Furious and Star Trek Beyond. Despite concerns about his lack of gaming experience, Arrowhead Studios CEO Shams Jorjani expressed trust in Lin's vision, emphasizing his ability to find humanity in characters. Gary Dauberman is writing the script. The film is produced by PlayStation Productions, which is also working on adaptations of other PlayStation franchises.

2025-12-05 | VideoGamer: Helldivers 2 CCO gives “feedback” on the movie’s script as fans sound the alarm about its director

Johan Pilestedt, CCO of Arrowhead and creative director of Helldivers 2, is providing feedback on the movie script directed by Justin Lin, who has not played the game. Fans are concerned due to Lin's lack of gaming experience and scriptwriter Gary Dauberman's horror background. Pilestedt praised a fan film titled "For Liberty!" made by volunteers, which he enjoyed. Arrowhead has no control over hiring or final decisions for the film.