Highlights

  • Hiroyuki Sanada's potential casting in Ghost of Tsushima film is a promising sign for the production's attention to quality.
  • Hollywood's shift to adapting video games into live-action films requires careful early production planning.
  • The Ghost of Tsushima movie has high expectations, especially in terms of casting, with hopes that Sanada's inclusion sets the bar high.

As a game, Ghost of Tsushima is already an incredible cinematic work in its own right, so Hollywood picking the title for a live-action adaptation wasn't too surprising. Headed by Chad Stahelski, the stuntman turned director who is responsible for the hit John Wick franchise, the Ghost of Tsushima movie is already off to an exciting start.

However, one recent rumor swirling around about the film's production is one of the most promising updates about the movie yet. Acting veteran Hiroyuki Sanada is apparently being eyed for a role in the film, and if this report is true, then that is promising news for Ghost of Tsushima's live-action adaptation. Not only would this be great for the movie's cast, but it's a positive omen for the production in general.

Jin Sakai wearing the Ghost mask from Ghost of Tsushima
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Ghost of Tsushima's Casting Rumors Hold Great Promise

Hiroyuki Sanada has decades worth of great films on his resume, but one of his most notable is his recent work on this year's series Shogun. From John Wick to The Last Samurai, Sanada has a long history with great action films, and Ghost of Tsushima would be a perfect fit for the actor.

Casting Rumors Point Toward Attention to Quality

It's quite obvious that Hollywood has been heavily focused on turning video games into live-action adaptations. In recent years, The Witcher, The Last of Us, and Fallout have all gotten the live-action treatment. The Witcher didn't quite stick the landing that The Last of Us and Fallout did, and it all seems to boil down to the attention and care of early production. That's why Sanada's rumored casting is so important. It's already a solid indication that early production is being handled with a lot of care.

Hiroyuki Sanada playing Jin Sakai is highly unlikely, but he would be perfect in the role of Lord Shimura, Jin's mentor and uncle. If these casting rumors are accurate, Ghost of Tsushima's production seeking out such heavy-hitting talent as Sanada for the role of a side character is a solid indicator that a lot of effort is being put into the project. Ghost of Tsushima's embrace of cinematics really brought the game's story to life with some great performances, so it only makes sense for the live adaptation to seek out such talented actors.

The Ghost of Tsushima film was announced in March 2021.

High Hopes for Ghost of Tsushima's Live-Action Cast

As one of the biggest games of 2020, there are a lot of expectations for Ghost of Tsushima's live-action movie. One of the biggest hurdles for the project to clear is with the cast, and Hiroyuki Sanada would be a stellar start. If Sanada takes on the role of Lord Shimura, the rest of the cast has to be on par with the veteran actor, at least in terms of talent. Director Chad Stahelski has worked with Sanada previously, so it's not entirely surprising that he would reach out to the actor to help bring the film to life.

After Sanada's potential casting is hopefully confirmed, the next big question revolves around who will play the titular Ghost himself, Jin Sakai. The game already has its own great performance from actor Daisuke Tsuji, and some are even hoping that he reprises his role in the live-action Ghost of Tsushima. However, if the film takes a different route and casts a new actor, then he needs to be able to stand up to the likes of major names, like Sanada. Although the release of the Ghost of Tsushima movie is far off in the distance, Hiroyuki Sanada's rumored casting negotiations could signal that the movie will be worth the wait.