Another Hit Jack Black Movie Is The Reason Why Hideo Kojima Finally Greenlit The Death Stranding Movie To Go Into Production

2019’s Death Stranding is often cited as one of the best video games created by Hideo Kojima. In late 2023, it was announced that A24 Films was collaborating with Kojima Productions to create a live-action feature film based on the popular video game.

Kojima has stated that he believes that it is difficult to adapt the game. However, he still greenlit the project and it was all because of 2023’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Kojima noticed that the trend is changing as video game adaptations are popular nowadays.

Hideo Kojima Greenlit Death Stranding Movie Because of The Super Mario Bros. Movie

On the latest episode of HideoTube, Hideo Kojima talked about the upcoming Death Stranding movie. Kojima shared various details about the movie but he explained the primary reason why greenlit the project,

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.

It’s no secret that video game adaptations are trending nowadays. From The Last of Us to Sonic the Hedgehog, many popular video game franchises have been adapted into a TV series or a movie. It makes sense why The Super Mario Bros. Movie convinced Kojima. The film was a massive hit, grossing $1.36 billion worldwide. This movie will be a great opportunity for Kojima to reach out to a wider audience.

Hideo Kojima Thinks It’s Difficult To Adapt Death Stranding

In the same interview, Kojima highlighted that he thinks it’s not easy to adapt 50-60 hour gameplay of Death Stranding into a movie, so a lot of content will be cut. He 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 highlighted that he wanted to create something indie and artistic and that’s why Kojima Productions is working with A24. He also added that he hopes his project wins awards at film festivals like Cannes, Venice, or Sundance. Not much is known about the film at the moment. In fact, Kojima claimed that they are still looking for a director.

Many video game adaptations are butchered nowadays but Kojima is highly involved in the project so we can expect to see something truly exceptional. Apart from the movie, he is also working on new video game projects like OD, Death Stranding 2, and a new “action-espionage” title.

Recently, the trailer for A Minecraft Movie was released, and it’s safe to say that it was not well-received by the community. After the poor reception of Borderlands movie, everyone believes that this will also suffer from the same fate.

Are you excited about the Death Stranding movie? Share your opinions on the project in the comments below!