Death Stranding Movie To Take Direction Nobody Has Tried Before

Following the unveiling of DS2 (working title, Death Stranding 2) at The Game Awards 2022, acclaimed game designer Hideo Kojima announced that a live-action feature adaption of Death Stranding was in development as part of a joint project between Kojima Productions and Hammerstone Studios. At the time of the announcement, information regarding the film's direction, cast, and release date was scarce; however, in an interview with IGN on 22 December, Kojima provided more details about the upcoming Death Stranding film.

When asked about how he came to work with Hammerstone Studios to produce the Death Stranding film, Kojima explained that he'd been "on video calls with lots of people in Hollywood," not only for Death Stranding. He further added that while he received "a lot of offers," the intention was "never to make a blockbuster film," a vision shared by Hammerstone Studios founder Alex Lebovici.

"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," Kojima said. The game designer continued by saying that he was instead aiming for a "more arthouse approach."

Kojima also commented on the film's cast, noting that the producers "haven't quite decided" which characters from the game would appear in the movie. However, it's also worth noting that the game designer previously indicated that "new elements and characters within the Death Stranding universe" would be introduced.

Commenting on the film's direction, Kojima said that his approach to the Death Stranding film would be "changing and evolving the world of Death Stranding. "In a way, the Death Stranding movie is taking a direction that nobody has tried before with a movie adaptation of a game," he added. The game designer went on to explain his reasoning, drawing attention to previous failures of film adaptations of games by noting how many of these movies "cater to gamers." He said, "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."

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Unfortunately, Hideo Kojima did not advise when fans might expect the Death Stranding movie to premiere; however, based on the responses above, the film will likely be worth waiting for. That said, we will endeavor to update you regarding any further developments.