What the Red Rising Movie Adaptation Could Mean for Fans

A film based on Pierce Brown’s first Red Rising novel is in development at Paramount, but key details such as casting and release timing remain unknown.

TV, Film & CultureOctober 17, 20263 min readHow Sureno writes this

The short version

Paramount has acquired film rights and is developing a movie based on the first Red Rising novel, with Francis Lawrence attached to direct. ¹²
Justin Rhodes is set to write the screenplay, and author Pierce Brown is among the film’s producers. ¹³
The story follows Darrow, a Red miner on Mars who enters the powerful Gold society to challenge its order. ¹
No release date, cast, or further production details are given in the available reports. ¹²³

What is the Red Rising movie adaptation?

It is a planned film based on the first novel in Pierce Brown’s Red Rising science-fiction series. Paramount Pictures has picked up the film rights, and Francis Lawrence is attached to direct. ¹²

The announcement is about a project in development, not a finished film or a release date. The reports identify the director and screenwriter, but do not say when filming will begin or when viewers might see it. ¹²

What is Red Rising about?

The story takes place on Mars in a future society divided into groups by color. Golds sit at the top of this hierarchy, while Reds such as Darrow are made to do hard labor. ¹

Darrow is a young Red miner. After a personal loss and learning more about the society he lives in, he enters Gold society with the aim of bringing its order down. The story combines science fiction with elements drawn from Roman mythology. ¹

Who is making the Red Rising movie?

Francis Lawrence is attached to direct, and Justin Rhodes will write the screenplay. Lawrence has directed several Hunger Games films, while Rhodes has worked with him on development of Netflix’s planned BioShock adaptation. ¹²

Pierce Brown, the author of the books, is also set to produce. IGN reports that Lawrence will produce alongside Cameron MacConomy, with Francesco Goedhuis and Brown also among the producers. ³

These roles do not by themselves confirm that the movie has completed its script, entered production, or cast its characters. The reports do not provide those details. ¹³

What could the movie mean for readers and new viewers?

For readers, the project offers a chance to see Darrow’s story reinterpreted for the screen. For people who have not read the books, a movie could provide an entry point to the series, but there is not yet enough information to know how closely it will follow the novel.

The first book’s Mars setting, color-based social divisions, and Darrow’s effort to enter the ruling class give the adaptation a clear central premise. How the film handles the novel’s wider world and themes will depend on choices that have not been announced. ¹

Is this the first attempt to adapt Red Rising?

No. Dark Horizons reports that an earlier film adaptation was attempted at Universal but did not move forward. The current project is at Paramount, which has acquired the film rights. ⁴

A previous attempt does not tell us whether the new film will be made or what it will look like. The available reports do not explain why the earlier effort fell through or provide a production schedule for the Paramount project. ¹⁴

What details about the film are still unknown?

The reports do not name any cast members or give a release date. They also do not describe a completed screenplay, a filming start, or a final decision about how much of the book will be included. ¹²³

Brown’s series has six published books, with a seventh on the way, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The current announcement concerns an adaptation of the first novel; it does not confirm films based on later books. ¹

What we don't know yet

Who will play Darrow and the other characters.
When filming will begin and whether a release date has been set.
How closely the screenplay will follow the first novel.
Whether later books in the series will receive film adaptations.

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Questions people ask

Is Red Rising getting a movie?

Yes. Paramount has acquired the film rights and is developing an adaptation of the first Red Rising novel. Francis Lawrence is attached to direct. ¹²

Who is directing the Red Rising movie?

Francis Lawrence is attached to direct the film based on the first book. He has directed several films in The Hunger Games series. ¹²

Who is writing the Red Rising movie?

Justin Rhodes is set to write the screenplay. The reports do not say whether the script is complete. ¹²

When will the Red Rising movie come out?

No release date is given in the available reports. They also do not provide a filming start date. ¹²³

Will the Red Rising movie adapt all the books?

The announced film is based on the first novel, not the full series. The reports do not confirm plans to adapt later books. ¹²

Sources

Francis Lawrence, Paramount Team for ‘Red Rising’ Movie Adaptation (Exclusive) — The Hollywood Reporter, 2026-10-16
‘Red Rising’ Movie in the Works at Paramount With ‘Hunger Games’ Director Francis Lawrence — Variety, 2026-10-16
'I Love This Team' — Red Rising Author Pierce Brown Reacts After Book Series Greenlit for Movie Adaptation at Paramount — IGN, 2026-10-16
Paramount Sets Plans For A "Red Rising" Film — Dark Horizons, 2026-10-16

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