‘Death Stranding’ movie to be produced by A24 and Kojima Productions – won’t be direct translation of game

In some rather exciting news, it seems Hideo Kojima is pretty busy at the moment, as Kojima Productions are partnering with A24 to develop a live-action Death Stranding movie.

A24 shared a recent statement saying: “It’s official: we’ve partnered with Kojima Productions on the live-action feature film adaptation of Hideo Kojima’s acclaimed video game, Death Stranding.“

I say Kojima’s busy, because he’s also working on a new horror game called OD – which we’ve just got another update to share with you about, actually.

Anyway, as the original game’s director and writer, Kojima had previously mentioned he is “deeply involved” with the movie, albeit not actually directing it. Here’s what he’d said about that:

Just to be clear, I am deeply involved in producing, supervising, plotting, look, design and content of the film adaptation of DS, just not in charge of directing.

That’s okay, Kojima! We don’t expect you to do everything – next you’ll be writing and singing the theme tune (kidding – that’s a Little Britain reference I really wish wasn’t in my head right now and I hate that it is). Moving on!

Recently, we gleaned some additional insight on the film via Kojima Productions’ own website about how this will NOT be a direct translation of the game.

There are a lot of ‘game adaptation films’ out there but what we are creating is not just a direct translation of the game. The intention is that our audience will not only be fans of the games, but our film will be for anyone who loves cinema.

Okay, that first part sounds fine. But even more exciting, is the statement that followed, about how they’re actually expanding the Death Stranding world (so, not just watering down anything from the original game).

We are creating a Death Stranding universe that has never been seen before, achievable only through the medium of film, it will be born.” Kojima also added that he believes A24’s “innovative approach” to storytelling matches what Kojima Productions has been doing for the last eight years.

Kojima has previously discussed how the project started and his vision, explaining that he’s not trying to make a blockbuster-sized movie (even though, in my head, it feels like it probably should be). Here’s what he had to say:

I was on video calls with lots of people in Hollywood every week beginning last year, and not just for Death Stranding. I received a lot of offers, but my intention from the start was never to make a blockbuster film. Alex Lebovici from Hammerstone Studios shared my vision with regards to that. There were a lot of pitches to make a large-scale movie with famous actors and flashy explosions, but what good would explosions be in Death Stranding? Making money isn’t something I’m focused on at all, either. I’m aiming for a more arthouse approach, and the only person who offered to make a film like that was Alex Lebovici, which makes me think he’s a rather unusual type.

Kojima also talked some real misses when it came to video game movie adaptations, and how this Death Stranding adaptation will take a “direction that nobody has ever tried before” with a video game movie.

Really, dude? He really seems one for making bold claims about his projects, and is it just me or does it feel like every new project he’s involved with will do something that’s never been done before? Anyway, here’s what he said, and you can make up your own mind, but pardon me for being skeptical:

The failure of film adaptations of games from a while back has led to a lot of movies that cater to gamers, right? That’s why they have the same kind of look as a game. I don’t want the Death Stranding movie to be like that. Rather, I’m taking the approach of changing and evolving the world of Death Stranding in a way that suits film well. I made Death Stranding to be a game, and games are games. There’s no real need to turn them into films. So in a way, the Death Stranding movie is taking a direction that nobody has tried before with a movie adaptation of a game. I think that what I need to make is something that will inspire some of the people who watch it to become creators 10 or 20 years down the line.”

I’ve got to admit, I have a bit of a weird relationship with the original game, which “challenges players to reconnect a fractured society after the cataclysmic ‘Death Stranding’ event. This has opened a doorway between the living and the dead, leading to creatures from the afterlife roaming the fallen world marred by a desolate society. Carrying the disconnected remnants of humanity’s future in his hands, players embody Sam Bridges as he embarks on a mission to deliver hope to humanity by connecting the last survivors of a decimated America.”

I started playing it for the first time when I was in a bit of a fragile state mentally – there had been recent loss and darkness in my life, and so the combination of various elements of the game really, REALLY didn’t help me.

Because of that, I found it pretty tough going, I kept dying, and eventually I gave up because I just wasn’t in the right mindset.

I went back to it a few months later, started from the beginning whilst in a much happier place mentally, and got a lot further with it whilst not being half as affected by the darker bits. Still didn’t complete it, mind, so maybe one day I’ll give it another go.

What do you think – are you excited for a Death Stranding movie? What sort of direction do you think it might take, and could ANY characters in the game recur? Would you want them to? Comments. Drop ’em below.