It is official: Death Stranding is being adapted as a live-action movie has been announced. As initially reported by Deadline, Hideo Kojima’s studio Kojima Productions is teaming up with Hammerstone Studios to create the movie based on the 2019 science fiction game. Led by Alex Lebovici, Hammerstone Studios is most recognizable for the horror movie Barbarian released earlier this year.
The film announcement comes just a week after the official teaser for a Death Stranding sequel. Kojima seized a moment during the 2022 Game Awards to announce DS2. They showed a trailer and joked that there are plenty of hidden messages to be found. No release date was given. With it being 3 years since the first game’s release, which occurred 4 years after the studio launch, there is no clear indication or hint of a release window for the sequel.
Sam faces off with a group of mules.
It is becoming more common for video game intellectual property to get scooped up for adaptations more quickly. For example, Sifu was announced to be coming to the big screen less than a year after its release. With some projects receiving favorable reviews, it seems studios are finally figuring out how to adapt a game. The surprising part may be Kojima Productions’ direct involvement in the movie-making process. However, it was announced that Kojima was opening a US studio to work on movies, television, and anime. The extent of Hideo Kojima’s personal involvement is still unclear.
With the current trend in entertainment being to announce projects years in advance, there is no indication of when the Death Stranding movie may release. Surely there will be a long and windy road of teasers, trailers, and casting announcements over the next few years. During that wait, keep on keeping on. With today being the seven year anniversary of Kojima Productions launch there is the possibility of more news throughout the day.
