Hideo Kojima is as divisive as they come. You either love his work so much that you believe that, until now, he's still sitting on the announcement of a new Metal Gear Solid game, or you don't care for him at all and find that his works aren't any good. There isn't a middle ground when it comes to the video game auteur. So, it comes off as a huge surprise that Kojima Productions' debut solo title, Death Stranding, is getting a live-action adaptation, because, well, why not?
According to Deadline, Barbarian's executive producer Alex Lebovici is on board as well as his production company, Hammerstone Studios. Furthermore, both Lebovici and Kojima will serve as producers of the film with Kojima Productions US and Allan Ungar each signing on as executive producers.
Death Stranding made waves when it came out in late 2019, both because of its divisive and challenging gameplay and also because of how eerily similar its story is to the COVID-19 pandemic. In a nutshell, the story is about Norman Reedus' character, Sam Bridges, who's working as a porter (delivery guy, basically) in a post-apocalyptic America where ghosts are tangible and can kill you. But, to avoid said ghosts, Bridges has to carry a baby inside a jar with him at all times. The game has been described as a walking simulator, yet despite the criticism, it's sold more than ten million units already with an equally star-studded sequel confirmed.
It'll be interesting to see how Kojima Productions will juggle the work on Death Stranding 2, the still-unconfirmed Overdose game that keeps on leaking, as well as Kojima's currently-untitled project with Xbox Game Studios.
With so much uncertainty surrounding the Death Stranding film, one thing guaranteed is it's going to be absolutely bonkers. And, oh, given Kojima's pull, we'll see a couple of stars sign up to join in the fun.
