"Death Stranding" Live-Action Movie Finds Its Director

Even as he is deep in post-production on his next movie, "Death of Robin Hood" at A24 starring Hugh Jackman and Jodie Comer, Michael Sarnoski and the studio are already setting their next project. 

Sarnoski has been tapped to write and direct the live-action adaptation of Hideo Kojima’s genre-defying video game "Death Stranding", with A24 and Kojima Productions producing. Lars Knudsen and Ari Aster’s Square Peg will also join as producer.

The adaptation 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.

"Death Stranding" captured the imaginations of millions of gamers, played by more than 19 million worldwide. 

Originally launched in November 2019 for PlayStation 4, it boasts an all-star cast, including Norman Reedus, Mads Mikkelsen, Léa Seydoux, Guillermo del Toro and Margaret Qualley. 

Players plays the role of Sam Porter Bridges, a character tasked with reuniting a divided America, rebuilding hope, and re-establishing connections among the last remnants of humanity.

The news follows on the heels of a number of Kojima Productions announcements at SXSW including a launch date for "Death Stranding 2: On the Beach" (June 26), debuting a new trailer, confirming a worldwide concert tour based on the franchise, and a collaboration with luxury watchmaker Hamilton. 

The game sees the return of Reedus, Seydoux, Nicolas Winding Refn and Troy Baker, who will be joined by Luca Marinelli, George Miller, and Elle Fanning.

The project gives Sarnoski another high-profile IP to add to his resume after his critically acclaimed 2021 breakout pic Pig". The movie starred Nicolas Cage and put Sarnoski on the map as a rising star in the director ranks. 

The pic landed him the high-profile "A Quiet Place" spinoff, "A Quiet Place: Day One", which bowed this past summer, grossing more than $250 million worldwide.

Sarnoski most recently directed "Death of Robin Hood" at A24 starring Hugh Jackman and Jodie Comer.