The upcoming Death Stranding movie is inching closer to becoming a reality. Director Michael Sarnoski (Pig, A Quiet Place: Day One) told Variety that he recently turned in a second draft of the script with the hope of shooting the film next year in Iceland and Northern Ireland. It seems like it will be his next project, as he told Variety he has plans for a low-budget personal project once he wraps up Death Stranding.
Not much is known about the Death Stranding film, but it is expected to be an original story set in the universe created by Hideo Kojima. With that said, Sarnoski did tease that there are “overlapping characters” from the games that will excite fans.
“I want it to feel big, but also offbeat and character driven,” Sarnoski says. “This takes place in the world of the video game, but I have my own set of characters. There are some like overlapping characters that fans will be excited to see, but it’s very much my own story within this universe.”
It’s unclear when the Death Stranding movie will be set in relation to the games, or what characters might appear. Hideo Kojima already utilized a star-studded cast of familar film actors across both Death Stranding games, meaning it wouldn’t be a stretch for Sarnoski to take advantage of them in his adaptation. Norman Reedus has already stated he would be down to reprise his role as Sam Porter Bridges in the film, but perhaps we’ll see other faces like Lea Seydoux’s Fragile, or Troy Baker’s Higgs.
A24 will produce the film in partnership with Ari Aster and his producing partner, Lars Knudsen. Kojima is also heavily involved with the film’s production. Kojima has stated he has ideas for a third Death Stranding game, but has no plans to make it himself. In the meantime, it seems like the universe will be fleshed out in other media, as an animated TV series and anime film are also in the works.
In the meantime, Kojima is working on two other games: OD and Physint. The former is an episodic horror game, focusing on different kinds of fears. It’s currently unclear when it will be released, but it seems to be a higher priority now that Death Stranding 2 is out the door. Physint is Kojima’s return to the world of tactical espionage action and is expected to be a PlayStation 6 game.
Sarnoski’s latest film, The Death of Robin Hood, is out this week. IGN’s review noted this “brutal period piece [is] his most niche and least accessible film yet” but found its “heady mix of mournful drama and murderous action certainly distinguish it from the litany of other Robin Hood films in existence.”
Cade Onder is a freelancer for IGN’s news team. He covers all things entertainment, including gaming, film, and more. You can find him on Twitter @Cade_Onder.
