Celebrated gaming auteur Hideo Kojima and his Kojima Productions label are partnering with Hammerstone Studios (“Barbarian”) to develop and produce a film adaptation of Kojima’s acclaimed game “Death Stranding”.
The story will be set within the same universe as the game and reportedly introduce new elements and characters. The project is being fast-tracked with development already well underway. No one has been set to write or direct as yet.
With more than ten million copies sold worldwide since its 2019 launch as a PlayStation exclusive (it came to PC earlier this year). The game is set in a world after the eponymous cataclysmic event, which led to destructive creatures roaming the Earth and society left devastated.
Players take on the role of Sam Bridges (Norman Reedus), a courier delivering supplies to isolated colonies and reconnecting them via a wireless communications network.
Mads Mikkelsen, Lea Seydoux, Margaret Qualley, Troy Baker, Lindsay Wagner, and filmmakers Nicolas Winding Refn and Guillermo del Toro all lent their voices and likenesses to the project.
The game scored positive reviews for its acting, soundtrack, and visuals, though gameplay and story were more mixed. It was nominated for a game of the year in 2019.
Kojima says in a statement: “I couldn’t be more excited about this new partnership with Hammerstone Studios. This is a pivotal moment for the franchise, and I’m really looking forward to collaborating with them in bringing DEATH STRANDING to the big screen.”
Hammerstone will fully finance the film, which will be produced by Kojima and Alex Lebovici. Lebovici says this take will be “far more intimate and grounded” than other big-budget tentpole video game adaptations, and “our goal is to redefine what a video game adaptation could be when you have creative and artistic freedom”.
The news comes as Kojima announced last week at The Game Awards that work was underway on a “Death Stranding” game sequel for PlayStation 5 with Kojima himself serving as its writer, director, producer and designer.
Source: Deadline
