While Death Stranding hype is at another all-time high following the announcement of a sequel, Hideo Kojima is making another power move.
Deadline reports that Kojima Productions will team with Alex Lebovici’s Hammerstone Studios for a new film based on the instantly iconic video game Death Stranding.
In the report, Deadline notes the film is said to be fully financed by Hammerstone, seeing Kojima and Lebovici serving as producers under their respective banners. This film marks Kojima Productions’ first-ever feature adaptation.
“I couldn’t be more excited about this new partnership with Hammerstone Studios,” said Kojima. “This is a pivotal moment for the franchise, and I’m really looking forward to collaborating with them in bringing DEATH STRANDING to the big screen.”
“We are thrilled and honored to have the opportunity to partner with brilliant and iconic Hideo Kojima on his first film adaptation,” added Lebovici. “Unlike other big-budget tentpole video game adaptations, this will be something far more intimate and grounded. Our goal is to redefine what a video game adaptation could be when you have creative and artistic freedom. This film will be an authentic “Hideo Kojima” production.”
Death Stranding is a fan-favorite video game, exploding on the scene with more than 10 million sales since its launch. The first game featured an all-star cast including Norman Reedus, Mads Mikkelsen, Léa Seydoux, Guillermo del Toro, and Margaret Qualley. The video game would receive numerous game awards following its debut on PlayStation and later saw a Death Stranding Director’s Cut released in September of 2021.
Last week, the Death Stranding sequel game was announced, with Hideo Kojima serving as its writer, director, producer, and designer.
Hammerstone Studios is a relatively new studio, but it has seen two impressive films since its launch. First, they launched Bill & Ted Face the Music in 2020, which quickly became a cult classic among fans. And in 2022, Alex Lebovici served as executive producer of Barbarian, a horror film released through 20th Century Studios that made an impression on genre fans. This combo of Lebovici and Kojima could be an exciting pair to bring Death Stranding to the cinemas.
Little is known about the film, but Deadline claims this Death Stranding adaptation will “introduce new elements and characters within the universe.” Development is being fast-tracked by the studios, so the film seems to be a priority for Kojima. Could this serve as a way to bridge the gap between Death Stranding 1 and Death Stranding 2? Will this expand the universe outside the characters we already know? Only time will tell, but fans of Death Stranding have a lot to look forward to in the future.
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