Hideo Kojima says the Death Stranding movie is "not just a direct translation of the game," will show a "universe that has never been seen before"

Death Stranding
(Image credit: Sony)

The Death Stranding movie won't be a direct adaptation of the original game.

Earlier today, December 14, Kojima Productions and A24 announced a new partnership for the Death Stranding movie (hours after it was revealed via a very expensive t-shirt). Now, Hideo Kojima, the original game's director and writer, has revealed a little more about the movie.

"There are a lot of 'game adaptation films' out there but what we are creating is not just a direct translation of the game," Kojima said in a statement on the developer's website. "The intention is that our audience will not only be fans of the games, but our film will be for anyone who loves cinema."

"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 continued. The game director added that he believes A24's "innovative approach" to storytelling matches what Kojima Productions has been doing for the last eight years.

All you need to do is follow Kojima on Twitter or Instagram to know he's a big A24 fan. The Kojima Productions head was posting near-constant praise about X prequel Pearl earlier this year, and he's also a fan of Talk To Me and Marcel the Shell With Shoes On. 

The news also isn't a huge surprise considering Kojima announced last year that the Death Stranding movie would add new characters. In fact, the game director said the Death Stranding movie might ditch the game's characters entirely, meaning we could be seeing a movie entirely without Norman Reedus, Mads Mikkelsen, and others.

Read up on our guide to all the upcoming video game movies for a look at what else is on the schedule. 

Hirun Cryer

Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.