The news has taken some time to settle, but at the end of it all, we know that a Death Stranding film is on its way courtesy of Hammerstone Studios and Kojima Productions. While there are always going to be concerns when it comes to adapting a video game for the big screen, the fact that Hideo Kojima is heavily involved will ease some minds.
In a new interview with IGN, Kojima was able to share more about the film, as well as the seven-year anniversary of the company together with their move to a new studio. For the film, it made more sense to partner up with Alex Lebovici and Hammerstone Studios, as both parties shared a similar vision for how Death Stranding can work as a movie.
As Kojima put it, “I was on video calls with lots of people in Hollywood every week beginning last year, and not just for ‘Death Stranding‘. I received a lot of offers, but my intention from the start was never to make a blockbuster film. Alex Lebovici from Hammerstone Studios shared my vision with regard to that. There were a lot of pitches to make a large-scale movie with famous actors and flashy explosions, but what good would explosions be in ‘Death Stranding‘?”
Less so about profit making and more about making an arthouse film, this is the general direction that the Death Stranding adaptation will take.
“Making money isn’t something I’m focused on at all, either,” said Kojima. “I’m aiming for a more arthouse approach, and the only person who offered to make a film like that was Alex Lebovici, which makes me think he’s a rather unusual type.”
As for the possibility of seeing in-game characters make the leap to the big screen, this is not something that Kojima is actively pursuing for the Death Stranding film. Instead, he will attempt to mould the world presented in the game to become more suitable for film.
“The failure of film adaptations of games from a while back has led to a lot of movies that cater to gamers, right? That’s why they have the same kind of look as a game. I don’t want the ‘Death Stranding‘ movie to be like that. Rather, I’m taking the approach of changing and evolving the world of ‘Death Stranding‘ in a way that suits film well. I made ‘Death Stranding’ to be a game, and games are games. There’s no real need to turn them into films,” Kojima explained.
“So in a way, the ‘Death Stranding‘ movie is taking a direction that nobody has tried before with a movie adaptation of a game. I think that what I need to make is something that will inspire some of the people who watch it to become creators 10 or 20 years down the line.”
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.
Edwin Teo
