Hideo Kojima drops an update on the Death Stranding movie: Will he direct it himself?

It was announced last year that Hideo Kojima would team up with A24 for a live-action movie adaptation of Death Stranding. While speaking with Variety, Kojima gave an update on the project and whether or not he will direct it himself.

“I have only ever thought of ‘Death Stranding’ as a game. People tell me it feels like a movie, but I made it as a game – the direction, the settings, the story. So, I don’t intend to look back at it and try to see it from a movie perspective. Those works are my babies, and I love movies, so I want it to be something that movie fans will really enjoy!” Kojima said. “I’ll supervise the plot and help them make it, but I won’t direct it. I can’t right now with three on-going projects! I’ll help by communicating with a director I really trust.“

Kojima added that there are “several Death Stranding adaptation projects currently underway, but there is a different story I’ve written that’s intended for a movie. But I don’t have the time to direct it, so I won’t.“

In a statement last year, Kojima explained that the Death Stranding movie would not be a direct adaptation of the game. “There are a lot of ‘game adaptation films’ out there but what we are creating is not just a direct translation of the game. The intention is that our audience will not only be fans of the games, but our film will be for anyone who loves cinema. We are creating a ‘Death Stranding’ universe that has never been seen before, achievable only through the medium of film, it will be born.“

Death Stranding was originally released in 2019 on PlayStation 4 and found players taking control of Sam Porter Bridges (Norman Reedus), a courier who brings resources to isolated colonies and reconnects them via a wireless communications network. The film featured an all-star cast, which included Mads Mikkelsen, Léa Seydoux, Margaret Qualley, and more, who also lent their likenesses to the characters.

Kojima has also been developing a Death Stranding sequel, Death Stranding 2: On The Beach. The game will be released on PlayStation 5 in 2025.