Video game creator Hideo Kojima confirmed that a film adaptation of the popular game Death Stranding was in the works. While many assumed that the plot would revolve around Sam Bridges, the protagonist in the game who works as a porter for a company called Bridges, Kojima has now revealed that the film will not be like the game at all, and have a different storyline.
News of the film adaptation of Death Stranding was met with mixed emotions. While many fans of the game were sharing their excitement on social media, others were concerned that the format of the game would not work as a movie. But, it seems like Kojima has a plan in place for that purpose and isn’t creating the Death Stranding adaptation to cater to the gamers. His plan is to evolve the “world of Death Stranding in a way that suits film well.”
Kojima’s approach toward film adaptations of games is quite unique. In his opinion, a lot of movies based on games are created to “cater to gamers,” as he stated during an interview with IGN. This is why, he believes, they all “have the same kind of look as a game.” He wants Death Stranding to be different. “The Death Stranding movie is taking a direction that nobody has tried before with a movie adaptation of a game,” he said. He wants to create a project that will “inspire some of the people who watch it to become creators.”
In his quest to make something different, Kojima revealed that he had spoken to “lots of people in Hollywood” regarding a film adaptation of the popular game. However, the reason why he chose to work with Alex Lebovici from Hammerstone Studios is because the filmmaker “shared [his] vision.” While there were a lot of pitches to create a “large-scale movie with famous actors and flashy explosions,” Kojima wanted to work on a more serious flick and aim for an “arthouse approach.” Turns out, the only other person with a similar vision for the project was the Barbarian executive producer Lebovici, and so he became the perfect candidate to work with.
Despite Kojima’s revelation that the Death Stranding movie will be different from the game, not a lot is known about the plot or who will work on the project. Kojima confirms that they haven’t quite decided whether the characters from the game will make an appearance in the film either. It remains to be seen what direction the project will go in, and who will be cast to play the role of the protagonist. For now, fans anticipate and spin theories.
Death Stranding is currently in production at Kojima Productions.
Source: IGN
