The film will tell the inspiring life of Mats Steen, the young Norwegian who conquered Azeroth from his room and made World of Warcraft history

There are stories that transcend the screen, and that of Mats Steenknown in World of Warcraft AS Ibelin Redmoreit’s one of them. The young Norwegian, suffering from Duchenne muscular dystrophy, found in the digital universe of Azeroth a space where his body had no limits and his spirit could fly free. Now his life will make the leap to the cinema with a film that promises to excite even those who have never played Blizzard’s legendary MMO.

A life story between pixels and hope

The film, simply titled Ibelinwill bring together a spectacular cast: Charlie Plummer (The long walk), Stephen Graham (Adolescence), Toni Collette (Hereditary), Isabela Mercede (The last of us), Maisy Stella (My old ass) and himself Anthony Hopkins (The silence of the lambs). The direction will be handled by Morten Tyldumknown for The imitation gamewhile the screenplay is signed Ilaria Bernardini Yes Hossein Aminibased on Steen’s personal writings.

The project was born from the collaboration between Images of Vendome Yes Pathéwho have already announced that it will not be a simple biography, but a celebration of life, friendship and the worlds we create to survive. According to the official synopsis, “in the vast digital realm, Ibelin was admired by thousands for his humor, his kindness and his courage. Behind the screen, Mats was the same, except for one detail: he lived with a degenerative disease that took away his body, but never his spirit.”

The story delves into how his family – described as “loving, funny and a little chaotic” – feared that Mats was withdrawing from the real world, when in reality he was building a community that transcended any physical boundaries.

A legacy that has already moved the world

It is not the first time that his story reaches the audiovisual. In 2024, the Norwegian documentary The extraordinary life of Ibelindirected by Benjamin Reehe swept the Sundance Film Festivalwhere he won two awards. That tape showed an intimate mix of family videos, guild chat conversations and excerpts from his blog Reflections on lifein which Mats reflected on his illness, death and digital friendship.

The documentary left critics speechless and generated a wave of recognition for the community of World of Warcrafthighlighting how one anonymous player managed to profoundly impact hundreds of lives through his empathy and sense of humor.

From pixels to the heart

The film version aims to follow that emotional tone, with a more narrative and epic approach. Tyldum, who has already demonstrated his sensitivity in The imitation gamehe described the project as “a love letter to human connection, even when it happens through a screen”.

While it doesn’t have a confirmed release date yet, everything points to it the movie will try a festival circuit in 2026before its arrival in theaters and on platforms. His ambition is not only to excite, but also to reclaim the power of video games as spaces of community, identity and comfort.

A story that redefines what it means to “live”

Steen died in 2014, aged 25. Until then, his family believed he spent his final years in solitary confinement. But after his death, messages began to arrive from players all over the world who had shared adventures, confessions and friendships with him under the name Ibelin Redmore. Through them, they discovered their son has left an indelible mark on thousands of peoplebuilding a legacy of humanity where many saw only leisure.

In a world that often despises the virtual, Ibelin promises to remind us that, sometimes, the truest heroes are born in imaginary worlds.