Summary
Death Strandingfans, get ready! The live-action adaptation is one step closer to reality.
Ever since its debut in 2019 — then for Playstation 4 —Death Strandinghas been a favorite for hard-core gamers with its genre-defying characteristics. Set in a dystopian and post-apocalyptic United States, still reeling from a mysterious cataclysm known as the “Death Stranding, “the game involves single players controlling the protagonist, Sam Porter Bridges (voiced by Norman Reedus) as he tries delivering packages to isolated cities and survivors in a world where monsters, supernatural creatures, and raiders roam. Its voice actors are household names in Hollywood: Reedus, Mads Mikkelsen, Troy Baker, and Léa Seydoux.
Michael Sarnoski Will Write and Direct ADeath StrandingMovie Adaptation
He Previously DirectedA Quiet Place: Day One
Talks of aDeath Strandingfilm adaptation began brewing three years after the game’s successful launch, and in 2023, it was officially confirmed, with Kojima producing. As first reported byDeadline,the upcomingDeath Strandingmovie has taken a major leap forward by securing a writer-director, Michael Sarnoski.Deadline describes the film as one that will:
“delve into the game’s mysteries surrounding the “Death Stranding” — a catastrophic series of events that blurred the boundaries between the worlds of the living and the dead, bringing forth nightmarish creatures into a fragmented world on the brink of collapse.”
ADeath Strandingmovie will be another addition to the slew of video game-to-film adaptations in active development — a list that includesUntil Dawn— already pegged for an July 29, 2025 release date —Watch Dogs,Ghost of Tsushima,andReturn to Silent Hill. It’s an unsurprising development, given the success of video game-to-film adaptations, such asThe Super Mario Bros. Movieand the recentrecord-breaking box office debut ofA Minecraft Movie, which became Warner Bros.’ third-biggest debut of all time and a record among video game-to-film adaptations.
Players ofDeath Strandingeager to see their favorite characters brought to life in live-action are undoubtedly hoping the upcoming film avoids the fate ofUbisoft’sSplinter Celladaptation — which was ultimately scrappedlast year despite early promise. Fortunately, the latest development ofDeath Strandingis simply more good news for devotees, after the sequelDeath Stranding 2:On the Beachreleased a pre-order trailer back in March ahead of its scheduled June 26 launch. Though unconfirmed, speculation is mounting around a possible Kojima-Keanu Reeves team-up in the sequel or a future game, especially after the latter was spotted at Kojima Productions.
Sarnoski, on his part, may not be the most obvious choice to helm aDeath Strandingmovie, but it likely stems from the good working relationship the filmmaker has with A24. He is currently directing the studio’s thriller,The Death of Robin Hood. After opening his directorial shop with the 2021 filmPig, the filmmaker’s work wowed eyes at Paramount Studios, who brought him on board to direct theA Quiet Placesequel,A Quiet Place: Day One,which bowed to a decent $261.8 million globally. Sarnoski’s filmography is a bit too scanty to predict his touch on theDeath Strandingmovie, but his track record doesn’t rebut the presumption that he’s a perfect fit.
No release date nor official title has been publicized for the upcomingDeath Strandingmovie.
Death Stranding
WHERE TO PLAY
From legendary game creator Hideo Kojima comes a genre-defying experience, now expanded in this definitive DIRECTOR’S CUT.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?DEATH STRANDING DIRECTOR’S CUT on PC includes HIGH FRAME RATE, PHOTO MODE and ULTRA-WIDE MONITOR SUPPORT. Also includes cross-over content from Valve Corporation’s HALF-LIFE series and CD Projekt Red’s Cyberpunk 2077. Stay connected with players around the globe with the Social Strand System™.
