Hideo Kojima‘s critically acclaimed video game franchise Death Stranding is set for an animated series adaptation at Disney+ – find out more below.
Kojima created 2019’s Death Stranding after leaving Konami over creative differences. The post-apocalyptic sci-fi game follows courier Sam Porter Bridges (Norman Reedus) as he delivers essential supplies and connects surviving human settlements after a devastating event caused destructive creatures to appear across North America. Its sequel, Death Stranding 2: On The Beach, was released in June and remains one of the best-reviewed games of the year.
Following the success of Death Stranding, several adaptations have been announced, turning the beloved project into other forms of media, including an upcoming A24-produced feature film.
In May, Kojima teased that he was also working on anime adaptation, but wasn’t able to share more information at the time. Now, he has officially announced that he’s teaming up with Disney+ for the project, which currently boasts the working titled Death Stranding Isolations.
Kojima made the announcement during a surprise appearance at Disney’s Asia Pacific originals content showcase in Hong Kong, and later shared the series’ official artwork on social media.
The anime series is being directed by Takayuki Sano, with Kojima executive producing. It is set to premiere sometime in 2027, and will introduce all-new characters into the Death Stranding universe.
Disney+ also provided a brief outline for the series. per The Hollywood Reporter: “Set in the world of Death Stranding, Death Stranding Isolations (working title) will tell a completely new story, separate from that of the video games. The upcoming series will follow a young man and woman as they set out on an adventure.”
As for the A24-produced live-action film, Hideo Kojima has confirmed he won’t be directing the project but will still be involved: “I think I will help produce it. I need to kind of guide the project but I can’t direct it myself, schedule-wise,” he said.
“I made Death Stranding as a game, so in order to turn it into a movie, it’ll be something totally different. But it’s my baby, so I would like to overlook the project. I’m teaming up with A24 and Michael Sarnoski, so he will be writing and directing. I’ll let them work on it without too much of my input, because that might get in their way. I don’t want to go in and ask them to make a bunch of changes; that’s not cool. I have to trust these people, and I trust A24 and Michael.”