A24, a film and television company, has announced a collaboration with Kojima Productions to produce a live-action adaptation of 2018’s Death Stranding. This was first spoken of through A24’s Twitter/X account, with the company debuting a new black T-shirt featuring its logo rendered with elements of the game.
The description on the T-shirt reads, “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.” While a film based on Death Stranding was initially announced in 2022, further details were kept hidden from the public eye.
In a blog post, Kojima detailed his decision to partner with the indie film studio, saying “A24 was born into this world about 10 years ago, their presence is singular within the industry, they are like no other…Their innovative approach to storytelling aligns with what Kojima Productions has been doing for the last eight 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.”
Death Stranding was the first title from Hideo Kojima’s personal studio after his departure from Konami. The game is set in a world in which humanity is on the brink of destruction following an extinction-level event responsible for ravaging the planet, introducing dangerous phantoms, and being found out in the rain a death sentence.
Players assume the role of Sam Porter (Norman Reedus), who explores the harsh frontier while staying a step ahead of danger with the use of an unborn child named Bridge Baby, contained in a pod strapped to Porter’s chest.
Kojima’s title also features several other major names in Hollywood, including Mads Mikkelsen and Léa Seydoux lending their likenesses and voices to their respective characters. In 2021, Kojima Productions announced it would be forming a new business division to tackle the industries of music, film, and TV. What’s more, in 2022, Death Stranding 2 was officially announced.
Kojima himself said although he will be involved in the Death Stranding film adaptation, he won’t be serving as director. Also recently, the popular game dev announced OD, his new Xbox game at The Game Awards, working alongside Oscar-winning director Jordan Peele.