Hideo Kojima Talks About the Difficulty of Adapting DEATH STRANDING into a Film

Hideo Kojima’s incredible and insane video game Death Stranding is getting the feature film treatment, but the creator admits that it’s going to be "quite difficult" to adapt. During a recent interview on HideoTube, Kojima said:

"It’s easier to adapt it into a TV series, like The Last of Us. It’s quite difficult to adapt a 50-60 hour game like Death Stranding into a 2-3 hour movie."

Kojima also explained that cuts would have to be made, adding, "The story of the game as is won’t fit into just two hours." However, he has hope that the film will be successful because of other video game projects that have been developed over the years that have been successful like The Super Mario Bros. Movie. He said:

"In the past, film adaptations of video games always failed… But in the last 4-5 years, people who understand games have taken on the task of adapting it into a film or drama. Several hits have been made, like [The Super Mario Bros. Movie]. That’s the trend these days.”

The Death Stranding movie is being produced in collaboration with A24 and when talking about their involvement and what they will bring to the movie, Kojima said:

"With A24, I want to make something that’s based on a game but also indie and artistic – something that can win awards at film festivals like Cannes, Venice or Sundance."

As for if the game will include the game’s lead Norman Reedus as courier Sam Bridges-Porter, Kojima said: "Nothing has been decided yet. We’re even still looking for a director.”

When previously talking about the film, Kojima explained that it won’t be a direct translation 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."

He added that they are expanding the Death Stranding world: "We are creating a Death Stranding universe that has never been seen before, achievable only through the medium of film, it will be born.” Kojima also added that he believes A24's "innovative approach" to storytelling matches what Kojima Productions has been doing for the last eight years.

The original game “challenges players to reconnect a fractured society after the cataclysmic ‘Death Stranding’ event. This has opened a doorway between the living and the dead, leading to creatures from the afterlife roaming the fallen world marred by a desolate society. Carrying the disconnected remnants of humanity’s future in his hands, players embody Sam Bridges as he embarks on a mission to deliver hope to humanity by connecting the last survivors of a decimated America.”

I’m excited and curious to see what this Death Stranding movie ends up being what kind of wild story it will tell.