It has been a while since we last heard anything concrete about the upcoming Ghost of Tsushima movie being helmed by director Chad Stahelski (John Wick). The movie has found itself a screenwriter in Takashi Doscher, and to up the authenticity further, we now know that Stahelski is pushing for a full Japanese Ghost of Tsushima movie with a cast of Japanese actors.
More importantly, Sony is apparently fully behind this initiative, at least according to the directory. This Ghost of Tsushima movie reveal comes via an interview Stahelski did with Collider while promoting the new Netflix vampire hunting film, Day Shift, which he helped produced.
“So, I think if we did this right, it would be visually stunning,” Stahelski explained. “It’s character driven. It’s got an opportunity for great action, great looks. And honestly, we’d to try to do it, all in character. Meaning, it’s a Japanese thing about the Mongols invading Tsushima island. A complete Japanese cast, in Japanese. Sony is so on board with backing us on that. I’ve been going to Japan since I was 16. I have a love of the country, love of the people, love of the language.”
For a film looking to make a splash globally, this represents a huge risk, even if fans and the people of Japan will likely appreciate the gesture more than most. However, for Stahelski, any concessions made for a full Japanese Ghost of Tsushima movie will be worth it.
“No one is going to give me $200 million to do a technology-push movie without speaking English. I get it. So, I have to be clever and I have to figure out what’s fiduciarily responsible to the property, to the studio and still get what I want out of it and still make it something epic. […] And I think America in general, or at least the Western audiences in general are getting more and more used to that because of the influence of Netflix and streamers and stuff, where we get so much more of world content.”
There are also the societal ramifications to deal with if a movie based on a game that drew inspiration from Japanese history and culture comes in English, or have Western actors. In the end, it depends on how the studio and the director envision the film, and we await with bated breath to see what develops next for the Ghost of Tsushima movie.
Jake is a full-time trophy hunter and achievement gatherer on consoles, and part-time Steam Sale victim. He has a thing for Batman and awesome statues, and running out of space for both. Send help.
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