Battlefield 6 Reveals Star-Studded Live Action Trailer

Electronic Arts, in partnership with creative agency Mother Los Angeles, has unveiled the launch campaign for Battlefield 6, featuring a live-action film that subverts the traditional celebrity-driven approach to gaming trailers. 

The campaign stars actor and producer Zac Efron, 6x NBA All-Star Jimmy Butler, chart-topping artist Morgan Wallen, and MMA fighter Paddy Pimblett in a creative twist that ultimately highlights the real heroes of Battlefield: everyday players and their squads.

The launch film opens with the celebrity talent before transitioning to showcase authentic squad-based gameplay that defines the Battlefield franchise. All four celebrities were in on the concept from the start. Before launch, they teased the campaign through a series of social media posts with phrases like "It's good to be back," "I don't talk trash, I take it out," and "I'm the problem."

"We're so excited for the launch of Battlefield 6. And, we've got a fantastic campaign that showcases the 'Only in Battlefield' moments that our brand is built on," said Anthony Stevenson, SVP, Entertainment Marketing and Publishing, Electronic Arts. "Squads are everything in Battlefield, and we love that this film puts them at the forefront working together to accomplish the objective, just like our players do in-game…all set up by some blockbuster talent to help tell the story."

"If you look at the state of first-person shooters, and then what Battlefield 6 is, this idea felt like a no-brainer. Players want to feel like they're actually in that world. So it became as simple as 'make fans think we're hopping on the same bandwagon, and then blow up that notion to make room for a more grounded and true "Only in Battlefield" film,'" said Joey Johnson, Creative Director at Mother LA.

"Bringing a video game into the world of live action is always an exciting opportunity. And for us, it meant being as authentic as possible to Battlefield's sense of scale and creativity. Squads can make the impossible happen, so crafting that war sandbox to feel as real and cinematic as possible was such a fun challenge," said Shelby Tamura, Creative Director at Mother LA.

Director Simon McQuoid of Imperial Woodpecker said: "I was particularly drawn to this script because it has two elements that I love: humour and scale. And my process is to balance those two elements all the time. This was a unique idea because we lead with a misdirect and the humor is up front, then from that point on it needs to back up the claim that only this sort of battle authenticity happens in Battlefield. It was one of the most enjoyable productions I have ever been a part of, because everyone wanted the same thing from the start: scale, authentic warfare and all with a sense of fun and awe mixed with it. I wanted the explosions to not just be big, but also feel utterly real, dirty and chaotic. I love the intensity of the game, so it was important that we matched that same energy."

Credits:

Client: Electronic Arts
Creative Agency: Mother Los Angeles
Director: Simon McQuoid
Production: Imperial Woodpecker
VFX: Framestore
Finishing + Color: Trafik
Local Production: Lions TV
Music Composition: 2WEI
Mix: Lime
Edit: Trim Editing
Motion Design: OPEN DOME
Photography: Kaito Studio