Hideo Kojima is a popular game designer. Hideo is currently working on the film adaptation of Death Stranding. We have gathered everything known about the project and explain what makes the film based on the “game of genius” unique.

Kojima has full control over the film adaptation

Rumours of a Death Stranding film adaptation appeared several years ago. However, they accompany the release of almost any game by Kojima. Confirmation that a film based on Death Stranding is in development appeared only in December 2022. Currently, the following details of the project are known for sure.

Hideo will serve as a producer but will not direct the film: “To be clear, I am actively involved in the production, supervision, story development, look, design and content of the Death Stranding adaptation, but I am not responsible for directing.”

The plot will not repeat the original game

Kojima is not even sure whether Sam Porter-Bridges or other characters from the game will appear in the film adaptation. Perhaps the film will tell a completely new story or reveal the biography of one of the secondary characters. However, everything that happens in the film will be inscribed in the Death Stranding universe.
A complex, comprehensive and mysterious story, a unique setting, well-developed characters, a beautiful visual style and much more. The world of Death Stranding is a perfect candidate for a film adaptation. Many gameplay mechanics, such as stealth during encounters with the Creatures, seem to be created for cinema. And the main advantage of film adaptation is the setting.

“I believe that we need to change and develop the world of Death Stranding in a way that is better suited for cinema. In a sense, our film adaptation will be made in a way that no one has ever tried to film games before. We need to make a picture that will inspire many people to become creators in 10-20 years,” Kojima said in an interview with IGN.

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There is currently no confirmed information about the writers, director, actors, budget or release date. Kojima does not want the film adaptation to be a blockbuster with a big budget and Hollywood stars. The game designer wants the film to be more personal and authorial: “There were a lot of offers to make a large-scale film with famous actors and bright special effects, but do you really need all these things for a game like this? From the very beginning, I did not intend to make a blockbuster out of this film. Making money is not what I intend to do now. I’m aiming for an art house approach.”

It’s not just about the genius and popularity of the game designer, although try to name another industry representative who is invited to prime-time evening shows so often.
Kojima’s entire biography is a path to cinema. As a child, he dreamed of becoming a director, but quickly realised that it was very difficult to break into cinema. Game development became a kind of substitute and a way of self-expression for him.

But Kojima was still closely connected with cinema. The source of inspiration for his games was primarily films. For example, the name and image of the protagonist of the Metal Gear Solid series, Solid Snake, are based on Snake Pliskin, a character in John Carpenter’s Escape from New York. The Policenauts quest follows the plot and aesthetics of Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner.

Kojima has great connections in Hollywood

Over the past 15 years, Kojima has worked with and even become friends with many prominent Hollywood filmmakers. Together with three-time Oscar winner and horror genius Guillermo del Toro, he worked on the sequel to Silent Hill, which was never released. Hideo is friends with cult Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn (Drive, The Neon Demon), who, like del Toro, gave the character Death Stranding his appearance.

Almost all the main characters in Death Stranding are Hollywood stars: Lea Seydoux, Mads Mikkelsen, Norman Reedus, and Elle Fanning will appear in the sequel. With Mikkelsen and Reedus, Kojima has a full-fledged bromance with joint photos from bars, Instagram calls and parties.

You can also find out more about the Death Stranding universe in our review of the game here