An animation based on the open world action-adventure game Death Stranding is being made.
The reveal was made by the game’s writer and director Hideo Kojima (who also founded its developer, KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS) in an interview with Vogue Japan. Kojima didn’t elaborate on the project after saying that it was moving along, so specifics like whether it is a Japanese or Western production, or whether it is a 2D or CG animation, are currently unknown.
However, it’s possible that the animation won’t be too beholden to the game. As he spoke about the upcoming Death Stranding live-action movie during the Vogue Japan interview, Kojima expressed that while there are visual adaptations that are faithful to the game’s storyline (The Last of Us) or provide fanservice (The Super Mario Bros. Movie), as a cinephile, he wants to pursue an expression that’s delivered from a film standpoint. He added that the aim is to have a Death Stranding that can only be done as a film and can obtain awards from festivals like Cannes and the Fantasia International Film Festival.
Death Stranding was first released in 2019 as the debut title from KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS, with a cast that includes Norman Reedus, Mads Mikkelsen, and Lea Seydoux. Originally a PS4 exclusive, the game has since made its way to PC, App Store, and Xbox Series X/S. A sequel, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, will be released on June 26, 2025.
Steam describes the first game’s premise as:
In the future, a mysterious event known as the Death Stranding has opened a doorway between the living and the dead, leading to grotesque creatures from the afterlife roaming the fallen world marred by a desolate society.
As Sam Bridges, your mission is to deliver hope to humanity by connecting the last survivors of a decimated America.
Can you reunite the shattered world, one step at a time?
Kojima previously mentioned the possibility of exploring Death Stranding through the animation medium in an 2024 interview with Variety. Kojima told the outlet, “And now, to strengthen our IP, we’re doing a sequel, and this is a game. And we’ll continue to add more to various platforms. What comes next are different forms of media: movies, anime, TV dramas, etc. Basically, expanding the game IP to other media. That’s the second phase. That’s what we’re aiming for next. I created Kojima Productions under the scope of “digital entertainment,” but I don’t think it necessarily has to be a video game. We could create a new IP from a game, or an anime, or a film, or something totally different. Anything is possible, and that’s the third phase.”
Source: Vogue Japan
