Red Rising Movie in Development at Paramount With Francis Lawrence Directing

News | By Ahaqir Ishaq

Pierce Brown’s Red Rising has a new route to the screen. Paramount is developing a movie based on the first novel, with The Hunger Games filmmaker Francis Lawrence attached to direct.

The Hollywood Reporter broke the news on October 16, and Deadline independently confirmed Lawrence’s involvement. For readers following years of adaptation updates, the important change is the format: the latest project is a feature film.

Who Is Making the Red Rising Movie?

Justin Rhodes will write the screenplay. TheWrap’s report also identifies Lawrence, Cameron MacConomy and Francesco Goedhuis as producers, with Brown serving as an executive producer.

Brown’s involvement gives the author a place on the production team, although the announcement does not establish how much creative control he will have.

Lawrence’s experience with The Hunger Games makes his attachment especially interesting. My biggest question is how the adaptation will balance the first novel’s competition with the injustice that drives Darrow into it. The action needs to work, but so does his reason for fighting.

What Happened to the Red Rising TV Series?

The new movie should be distinguished from the earlier television project.

In a March 2026 interview with Maude Garrett, Brown said the previously developed TV adaptation was no longer moving forward. ComicBook.com’s contemporary coverage reported that Brown learned in October 2025 that the project would not proceed.

At the time, Brown also mentioned a separate live-action possibility. The October film announcement provides a concrete new development, but it does not mean the abandoned television version has been revived.

Does Red Rising Have a Release Date or Cast?

As of October 16, 2026, no release date, cast or production start date has been announced for the new film, according to Nerdist’s adaptation report.

That means there is no announced actor playing Darrow. Fan casting should be treated as speculation.

The project is in development. A studio, director and screenwriter are meaningful progress, but filming and a scheduled release remain separate milestones.

Which Book Will the Movie Adapt?

The announced film is based on Red Rising, the opening novel in Brown’s series.

For readers unfamiliar with it, Penguin Random House’s official description introduces Darrow as a miner on Mars and a member of the oppressed Red caste. He believes his work is helping prepare the planet for future generations, until he discovers that the society above him has been built on a devastating lie.

His response takes him into the world of the ruling Golds, where survival and rebellion become intertwined.

Starting with the first novel offers a clear entry point. Readers do not need to begin with later installments or supplementary stories.

What the Adaptation Needs to Get Right

For me, the central challenge is making Darrow’s transformation emotionally convincing. A film can show a spectacular future society, but audiences also need to understand what it costs him to move through it.

His relationships matter just as much. Trust, ambition and loyalty give the competition its consequences; without those connections, the story risks becoming a succession of elaborate confrontations.

Those are expectations for the adaptation, rather than announced screenplay details. For now, the strongest news is that Red Rising has a named film team at Paramount and readers finally have a specific new project to follow.

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