“Death Stranding” will be the latest video game to get the cinematic treatment, with a new movie coming courtesy of Hideo Kojima’s Kojima Productions partnered with Alex Lebovici’s Hammerstone Studios which is fully financing the picture. Libovici was an executive producer on the recent sleeper horror hit “Barbarian.” Kojima Productions US and Allan Ungar will serve as executive producers.
“Death Stranding,” starring Norman Reedus, Mads Mikkelsen, Léa Seydoux, Guillermo del Toro and Margaret Qualley, launched in 2019 for the Playstation 4. Since then, it has sold 10 million copies worldwide with a sequel recently announced at this year’s The Game Awards.
The game puts players inside a society fractured after a cataclysmic event that opened a doorway between the living and the dead.
“I couldn’t be more excited about this new partnership with Hammerstone Studios,” said Hideo 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.”
“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.”
While the logline is currently under wraps, it is believed that the game will introduce new characters and plot threads within the “Death Stranding” universe. No writers or directors are as-of-yet attached, but the film is considered a fast-tracking priority.
Kojima is considered a cutting-edge game creator, known for pushing the boundaries of the medium, and considered the father of the stealth game genre. Lebovici’s L.A.-based production company is quietly amassing a string of buzzy hits, including “Barbarian” ($45 million worldwide on an under-$10 million budget) and “Bill and Ted Face the Music.”
With the comic book sub-genre at a crossroad (with little outside of the DC/Marvel franchises breaking out theatrically), the video game marketplace may continue to be a fertile sandbox for new IP and potential new franchises for film and television.
This story was first reported by Deadline.
