You’ve seen the thumbnails. Maybe it was on a late-night YouTube scroll or a random Facebook feed—a rugged, bearded Jason Momoa or a hulking Tom Hardy wearing the iconic red face paint. The title usually screams something like "GOD OF WAR (2017) Official Trailer" in all caps. It looks real. The music is booming. The cinematic shots of ancient Greece or the frozen wilds of Midgard look expensive. But here’s the thing: if you went to the theater looking for a God of War 2017 movie, you probably walked out very confused or ended up watching a different film entirely.
There was no movie.
Honestly, the "God of War 2017 movie" is one of the most persistent "Mandela Effect" moments in gaming history, fueled entirely by the transition between the Greek and Norse eras of the franchise. Around 2016 and 2017, the hype for the soft reboot of the game series was reaching a fever pitch. Fans were desperate for a live-action adaptation, and the internet did what it does best—it filled the vacuum with incredibly high-quality "concept trailers" that millions of people mistook for the real deal.
Why Everyone Thought a God of War 2017 Movie Was Real
It wasn't just gullibility. The timing was perfect for a massive misunderstanding. In June 2016, Sony revealed the new God of War game at E3 with a live orchestra and a stunning gameplay demo. This was a "New Kratos." He was older. He had a beard. He had a son named Atreus. The cinematic quality of that reveal was so high that it blurred the lines between gaming and film. People who weren't deeply embedded in the gaming world saw those clips on social media and naturally assumed a blockbuster was coming to theaters.
The "trailers" you might remember were actually masterfully edited "fan-made" or "concept" videos. Creators like Smasher or Billy Crammer often use footage from other movies—think 300, Clash of the Titans, Hercules, or even Jason Momoa’s Conan the Barbarian—and color-grade them to look like Kratos. They add the "Omega" logo, some heavy bass drops, and suddenly, you have 10 million views on a video for a movie that doesn't exist.
The Long, Messy History of Kratos on the Big Screen
The irony is that a God of War film has been in "development hell" since 2005. That is a long time to wait. Almost twenty years of rumors.
Shortly after the original game launched on the PlayStation 2, David Jaffe (the game’s creator) confirmed that a script had been sent to various directors. At one point, Charles Roven—the producer behind The Dark Knight—was attached to produce it. Universal Studios held the rights. They even had a script written by David Self, who wrote Road to Perdition.
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But it stalled. Why?
Budgeting a movie where the main character murders the entire Greek pantheon is... expensive. You can't do that on a "wait and see" budget. It requires Avatar-level money. Later, around 2012, Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan (the writers of several Saw films) were brought in to rewrite the script. They wanted to "humanize" Kratos, making him more like the character we eventually saw in the 2018 game. They wanted to explore his life before he became the Ghost of Sparta. But again, the project went dark. By the time 2017 rolled around, the film project was effectively a ghost, even though the "God of War 2017 movie" searches were spiking.
The 2017 "Movie" That Actually Happened (Sort Of)
If you strictly search for a "God of War" film released in 2017, you’ll actually find one. It just isn't the one you're thinking of.
There is a Chinese historical war film titled God of War (originally Dang Kou Feng Yun) released in 2017. Directed by Gordon Chan and starring the legendary Sammo Hung and Vincent Zhao, it’s a movie about the Ming Dynasty and their battle against Japanese pirates. It’s a solid action flick. Great choreography. Real history. But it has absolutely zero to do with Kratos, blades on chains, or angry bald men climbing Olympus.
This created a massive SEO crossover. People searched for "God of War 2017 movie" hoping to see a Spartan and found a 16th-century Chinese general instead. It’s a classic case of title collision that kept the rumor mill churning.
Why 2017 Changed Everything for the Franchise
Even though there was no theatrical release, 2017 was a pivotal year for the God of War identity. Sony was flooding the market with marketing for the 2018 game. We were seeing the "A Call from the Wild" prequel story and the "Lost Pages of Norse Myth" podcast series.
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The storytelling became so sophisticated that it rendered the old 2005 movie script obsolete. The "New Kratos" was a father. He was weary. He was nuanced. Hollywood didn't want the one-dimensional "shouting Kratos" anymore; they wanted the "pre-ordered the game" Kratos. This shift is likely why any movie plans were scrapped—the source material was evolving faster than the screenwriters could keep up.
The Reality of Video Game Movies in 2017
Look at the landscape of that era. Assassin's Creed (2016) had just flopped. Warcraft (2016) did okay in China but struggled elsewhere. Studios were terrified of big-budget game adaptations. The "video game movie curse" was a very real talking point in trade magazines like The Hollywood Reporter and Variety.
Spending $200 million on a God of War 2017 movie was seen as a massive gamble that Sony wasn't ready to take. They chose to focus on the game, which turned out to be a masterpiece. Honestly, it was the right call. The 2018 game is a movie in its own right, shot in a single, continuous camera take. You can't top that in a 120-minute theatrical runtime.
If Not a Movie, Then What?
If you are still craving a live-action adaptation, there is finally some actual, non-fake news.
Amazon Prime Video is currently developing a God of War TV series. This isn't a fan-made trailer or a rumor from a 2017 blog. It’s a real production with Rafe Judkins (The Wheel of Time) and the writers of Children of Men and Iron Man, Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby. Cory Barlog, the director of the games, is also involved.
They aren't starting with the Greek era. They’re skipping straight to the Norse saga. It makes sense. It’s the story people fell in love with recently. It’s also much easier to film "man and son in the woods" than "man vs. a 500-foot tall Colossus of Rhodes" for a TV budget, at least for the first few episodes.
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How to Spot the Fakes Moving Forward
The internet is still full of "trailers" for God of War movies starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson or Christopher Judge (who actually voices Kratos and is a fan favorite for the live-action role). To avoid getting fooled by the next "2017 movie" style hoax, keep these things in mind:
- Check the Studio: If it's a real Sony property, the trailer will be on the official "Sony Pictures" or "PlayStation" YouTube channels.
- Look at the Footage: If you see a shot of a character that looks suspiciously like they belong in Vikings or The Last Kingdom, it’s a fan edit.
- Check Trade News: Sites like Deadline or The Hollywood Reporter will always break casting news before a trailer ever exists.
What You Should Watch Instead
Since that God of War 2017 movie doesn't exist, you have a few actual options that capture the same vibe:
- The "Raising Kratos" Documentary: It’s a feature-length look at the making of the 2018 game. It’s emotional, cinematic, and honestly better than most action movies.
- Northman (2022): If you want the brutal, muddy, mythological violence of Kratos in a Norse setting, this is the closest you will ever get to a live-action God of War.
- God of War (2017) Chinese Film: If you're just curious, watch the Ming Dynasty film. It's a great piece of cinema, even without the Leviathan Axe.
Basically, the "God of War 2017 movie" was a ghost—a mix of high-end game trailers, fan creativity, and a coincidental Chinese film release. It’s a fascinating look at how we consume media and how easily a collective wish can turn into a "fact" in the digital age.
If you want to stay updated on the actual Amazon series, your best bet is to follow the official PlayStation Blog. They usually drop casting news there first. Don't trust the thumbnails with the red circles and the "RELEASE DATE" text in the corner. They've been tricking us since 2017, and they aren't going to stop now.
Next Steps for Fans:
- Verify the Source: Search for "Amazon God of War Series" on Variety or Deadline to see the current production status.
- Explore the Lore: Watch the "Lost Pages of Norse Myth" on YouTube; it’s the official narrative bridge that many mistook for movie promos.
- The 2017 Film: If you actually wanted the historical war drama, look for God of War (2017) on streaming platforms like Amazon or Tubi, but search for the director Gordon Chan to find the right one.