Jake Gyllenhaal’s long-awaited video game adaptation just received its first major update in four years, and it’s not great news. A key producer revealed where the Netflix project currently stands and why the team behind it has quietly moved on.
10 years later, Jake Gyllenhaal’s The Division movie is still in limbo
Jake Gyllenhaal first joined Ubisoft’s The Division film adaptation as star and co-producer back in 2016. A decade later, the Netflix project remains stuck in development limbo, according to a new ScreenRant exclusive. Producer Kelly McCormick recently offered the first status update on the film in four years.
McCormick shared the update during an interview for the Violent Night 2 trailer launch. She confirmed that The Division is no longer with her and director David Leitch’s 87North banner. “But that’s not one that we’ve thought about in a bit,” McCormick said. She added, “I wish it well, wherever it is, and I’m sure the movie will be incredibly successful.”
Jessica Chastain also joined the project shortly after Gyllenhaal signed on in 2016. Leitch initially came aboard to direct before Rawson Marshall Thurber replaced him. Netflix then acquired the distribution rights in 2019. The film quietly entered a pause in late 2022.
McCormick previously cited COVID-19’s negative impact on her team’s involvement with the project. The Division’s story centers on a viral epidemic devastating Manhattan, New York. Filmmakers have remained cautious about pandemic-based storytelling since the real-world lockdowns. Many recent films have instead treated pandemics as background elements or found humor in them.
Meanwhile, 87North has grown increasingly busy with other ventures. Leitch directed The Fall Guy and the upcoming heist film How to Rob a Bank. He is also currently in production on Jason Statham Stole My Bike. McCormick noted that her team has “a bunch of things that we are circling and excited about.”
The film’s future still holds some possibility despite 87North’s departure. Netflix maintains a strong relationship with Ubisoft through projects like Splinter Cell: Deathwatch. The streamer also has an upcoming Assassin’s Creed live-action series in development.
Originally reported by Vritti Johar on Comingsoon.net.
