Sea of Thieves is getting a movie adaptation produced by Destin Daniel Cretton. See details, Xbox’s Hollywood plans, and all confirmed game adaptations.
Microsoft has officially confirmed that Sea of Thieves is being adapted into a feature film, marking one of Xbox’s most ambitious entertainment moves yet. The announcement surfaced through Entertainment Weekly as part of a cover story celebrating Xbox’s 25th anniversary, and the name attached to the project signals serious intent. Destin Daniel Cretton, director of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and the upcoming Spider-Man: Brand New Day, will produce the film through Hisako Films.
No director, screenwriter, or cast has been announced, which places the project firmly in early development. Still, attaching one of Hollywood’s most in-demand filmmakers immediately elevates expectations.
Table of Contents
- What Is the Sea of Thieves Movie
- Who Is Producing the Sea of Thieves Movie
- What Makes Sea of Thieves Hard to Adapt
- What Did Xbox Say About the Movie
- Why Xbox Is Expanding Into Hollywood
- What Other Xbox Adaptations Are in Development
What Is the Sea of Thieves Movie
The film adapts Sea of Thieves, Rare’s open world pirate adventure released in 2018 for Xbox and PC. The game is known for:
- Cooperative exploration
- Emergent storytelling
- Player driven adventures
- A comedic and adventurous tone
Unlike most game adaptations, Sea of Thieves has no central protagonist or linear narrative, which makes the film’s direction an intriguing challenge.
Who Is Producing the Sea of Thieves Movie
The film is being produced by:
- Destin Daniel Cretton, director of Shang-Chi
- Hisako Films, Cretton’s production company
Cretton’s involvement suggests a high budget, action driven adaptation with strong character focus and broad audience appeal.
What Makes Sea of Thieves Hard to Adapt
Sea of Thieves thrives on player freedom, not scripted storytelling. There is no main character, no fixed plot, and no traditional hero’s journey.
Matt Booty, Xbox’s Chief Content Officer, explained:
“The main character in a Sea of Thieves game is actually the player and the community. It is a super social game built on cooperation, so you start to get a feel for what it’s going to be like.”
This implies the film will aim to capture the tone of the game rather than adapt a specific storyline.
What Did Xbox Say About the Movie
Booty emphasized that the film will lean into:
- Adventure
- Humor
- Camaraderie
- Cooperative spirit
This approach mirrors the strategy behind A Minecraft Movie, which also lacked a traditional plot yet became one of 2025’s biggest box office hits.
Why Xbox Is Expanding Into Hollywood
Xbox CEO Asha Sharma confirmed that Microsoft is accelerating its entertainment strategy:
“Big games are culture, and culture is entertainment. Fallout is number two of all time on Amazon, Minecraft was top five in 2025, and Call of Duty is bigger than the Marvel Cinematic Universe.”
Microsoft sees enormous demand from studios wanting to adapt major gaming IPs.
What Other Xbox Adaptations Are in Development
Xbox currently has over a dozen adaptations in development, with eight publicly confirmed:
- A Minecraft Movie sequel at Warner Bros.
- Gears of War animated series on Netflix
- Minecraft animated series on Netflix
- Gears of War live action film on Netflix, directed by David Leitch
- Wolfenstein live action series on Amazon
- Fallout Season 3 on Prime Video
- Fallout Shelter reality show, now filming
The success of Fallout, which became Prime Video’s second most watched series of all time, is fueling larger investments.
The Sea of Thieves movie currently has no release date or estimated window.