Development Progress, Hideo Kojima’s Involvement & Everything We Know

Death Stranding movie news is coming in about the highly anticipated adaptation of the Hideo Kojima video game. The original game, released in 2019, saw a courier named Sam Bridges (Norman Reedus) set off on a mission across a war-torn America, looking for surviving communities with the goal of opening up communication with the rest of the country to help rebuild civilization. This all happened after an event called Death Stranding opened the door between the living and the dead. What made the game so groundbreaking was that the voice actors did motion capture and stars like Norman Reedus and Mads Mikkelsen were part of the cast.

In 2022, the Death Stranding movie was announced, with game designer Hideo Kojima behind the production. It also appears that the movie will be less of a Hollywood video game blockbuster and more of an art-house movie based on the popular video game. With Kojima involved, the Death Stranding movie fans of the games excited, and the news about who will star in the new version has become a hot talking point. Many are wondering if Reedus, Mikkelsen, and the rest of the original cast will be back to play their characters in a live-action Death Stranding movie, or if this will be something completely new.

Death Stranding Movie Latest News

Story Details & A Planned Universe Is Teased

Though development has been slow on the highly anticipated video game movie, the latest update reveals story details for the Death Stranded movie. Original game creator Hideo Kojima spoke candidly about the story of the upcoming film, saying “what we are creating is not just a direct translation of the game.“ Kojima went on to say “We are creating a Death Stranding universe that has never been seen before, achievable only through the medium of film.” Though the exact details are unknown, it’s clear that Death Stranding won’t be the typical video game movie.

The Death Stranding Movie is Confirmed

The Adaptation Is On The Way

Though the movie was known as far back as December 2019, the live-action Death Stranding movie is in development from A24. The Death Stranding movie will be part of Hideo Kojima’s studio, Kojima Productions, and it is co-produced by A24, a studio known for its high-profile arthouse releases. Little else has been revealed about the project, but A24’s involvement does bode well for preserving Kojima’s initial vision.

Death Stranding Movie Cast

Will Any Original Stars Return?

There is no director signed on for the Death Stranding movie yet, so there is also no news on the Death Stranding movie cast. What made the game special was that the characters looked like the voice cast that signed on to portray them. Not only did the actors voice the characters, but they provided motion-captured performances as well.

Norman Reedus starred in the Death Stranding game cast as Sam Bridges, a courier who is working on an expedition across the United Cities, trying to help reconnect the country. Guillermo Del Toro is Deadman, a doctor for the organization Sam works for. Cliff Unger is an antagonist in the story, a soldier played by Mads Mikkelson. Lea Seydoux also has a part in the Death Stranding cast as a company executive for Fragile Express. However, while any of these actors could appear, there is a chance Hideo Kojima will not bring back any of them and tell a different story in the Death Stranding movie.

Related: Death Stranding Cast & Character Guide: Every Actor & Who They Play

How Hideo Kojima Is Involved In The Death Stranding Movie

The Gaming Icon Will Not Direct

In some of the best Death Stranding movie news, it seems that Hideo Kojima will be “deeply involved” in the making of the movie. However, Kojima will not be the director of the live-action Death Stranding feature film. Kojima let fans know on Twitter the extent of his involvement while emphasizing that he would not be involved with the direction of the movie itself. “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” Kojima said.

Death Stranding Movie Story Details

How Will The Movie Adapt The Game?

Hideo Kojima has made it clear he wants to tell a different story for the Death Stranding movie, and not just adapt the games to the new format. The original Death Stranding game was about a courier named Sam Bridges (Norman Reedus) who was sent out to find and connect the survivors of a post-apocalyptic United States and help reconnect and rebuild civilization. This came after an event known as Death Stranding, which opened a door between the living and the dead.

If the Death Stranding movie doesn’t bring back Sam and re-tell his story, it might open up the option to showcase other characters and new adventures in this post-apocalyptic landscape. There is also a chance that the Death Stranding movie will tell the same story, but make some major changes to increase its cinematic value. However, at the same time, Hideo Kojima also said that the movie won’t look like a blockbuster and will be a more “arthouse approach.”

Death Stranding

Based on the 2019 video game, Death Stranding is a film adaptation based on the story and world created by Hideo Kojima. Set against the backdrop of a world affected by the stranding, humanity lives in small bunkers to protect itself from dangerous creatures known as “beached things” (or BTs) to preserve what remains of humanity.