At last year's Game Awards show, it was announced that Hideo Kojima's award-winning sci-fi action game was getting the movie treatment. Now we know the studio that is partnering with Kojima Productions for the live-action feature film adaptation.
Announced today, A24, the studio behind Everything Everywhere All at Once, Uncut Gems, and Hereditary, is working on the project.
Released in 2019, Death Stranding is set in a dystopian future in which a cataclysmic event has resulted in destructive creatures roaming the Earth. With the United States -- and presumably much of the world -- now living in isolated colonies, the game follows Sam Porter Bridges (played by Norman Reedus), a courier tasked with delivering supplies and reconnecting these colonies via a wireless communications network.
The film adaptation promises to "delve into the mysteries surrounding the apocalyptic event called the “Death Stranding”, which blurred the lines between life and death, and brought forth nightmarish creatures into a world on the brink of collapse."
Hideo Kojima, widely considered the father of the stealth genre, had this to say of the partnership with A24:
“A24 was born into this world about 10 years ago, their presence is singular within the industry, they are like no other. The films they are delivering to the world are high in quality and very innovative. I have been attracted to their creations and they have even inspired my own work. Their innovative approach to storytelling aligns with what Kojima Productions has been doing for the last 8 years. Now, we are making a Death Stranding movie together. 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. We are creating a Death Stranding universe that has never been seen before, achievable only through the medium of film, it will be born.”
Over 16 million players have enjoyed Death Stranding across PlayStation and PC since it first launched in 2019. In addition to the upcoming movie adaptation, Kojima Productions also recently announced that Death Stranding 2 is currently in development for PlayStation 5. Norman Reedus, Léa Seydoux, Elle Fanning, Shioli Kutsuna, and Troy Baker have already been confirmed for the upcoming sequel, but it's unclear who will star in the movie.