Hideo Kojima is making a Death Stranding movie — everything we know

Video game adaptations are all the rage these days. The Game Awards created an entire category for them in 2022 due to the sheer number of projects like the Sonic movies or Sony’s many TV adaptations of their most popular franchises. The latest critically acclaimed game to get the adaptation treatment is Hideo Kojima’s AAA walking simulator Death Stranding. The film will the first from the prolific game developer. Here is everything we know so far about the upcoming Death Stranding movie.

When will the Death Stranding movie be released?

Considering the project was just announced it is unlikely the movie will be coming to theaters anytime soon. Film production can take a while so the Death Stranding movie could be over three years out. However, according to Deadline, who broke the news, the movie is “on the fast track, with development underway.”

Is there a Death Stranding movie trailer?

No! This project is incredibly early in development so there is no trailer for the movie. Kojima is still hard at work on the rest of the Death Stranding universe though, with a second game titled DS2 officially on its way after being announced at the 2022 Game Awards. Check it out here:

Who is working on the Death Stranding movie?

At the moment there is no writer or director attached to the project. Hideo Kojima and his studio Kojima Productions are obviously working on the adaptation. This will mark the first time Kojima will be working on a film, though the game director has openly been a major film buff for years.

Death Stranding itself is full of cameos from Hollywood directors like Guillermo del Toro and Nicolas Winding Refn as well as starring big-name actors like Mads Mikkelsen and Norman Reedus. The movie is being made in partnership with Hammerstone Studios, headed by Barbarian Executive Producer Alex Lebovici, who is fully financing the project.

Also attached as Executive Producer on the project is Allan Ungar. Ungar is a director, producer, and writer who may be best known amongst video game fans as the director of the 2018 Uncharted fan film that starred Nathan Fillion as Nathan Drake. The fan film was loved by fans of the franchise for its exciting adaptation that felt true to the series, unlike the 2022 official film adaptation starring Tom Holland.

How will the Death Stranding movie connect to the game?

Kojima has never been one to tell straightforward narratives, and fans can expect the film to be similar. While set in the same world as the game, the Death Stranding movie is expected to “introduce new elements and characters” according to Deadline.

It is unknown if characters in the game like Sam Porter Bridges will be making a return, but Norman Reedus and Kojima’s close relationship as well as Bridges' importance to the overall world of Death Stranding makes it hard to believe Reedus will not be part of the project Depending on when the movie releases, the story could tell a story set after DS2 or one that bridges the gap between the first and second games.