The successes of Super Mario Bros. and, more recently, Minecraft continue to pave the way for video game adaptations into films and series. It's the turn of another major franchise to be adapted into an animated feature film.
After Super Mario Bros. and Zelda
In recent years, there has been a boom in adaptations into films and series (whether live-action or animated). Where previously video games were considered niche entertainment, and CGI was not sufficiently developed, the biggest studios now see a market with strong lucrative potential.
The huge success of the live-action film Super Mario Bros. was the launching pad for a desire to adapt the biggest video game licenses. Uncharted, Minecraft, Cyberpunk 2077 (via the Netflix series Edgerunners), The Last of Us, Fallout, The Witcher, and soon God of War, The Legend of Zelda and Horizon Zero Dawn, the examples are numerous. While the quality of some projects is highly questionable (Minecraft, The Witcher, Uncharted), it is clear that things are taking off (Minecraft again, which has nearly grossed a billion dollars worldwide, making it - currently - the second highest-grossing film of 2025). A sequel should logically follow.
A new Death Stranding film has been made official
It's also Death Stranding's turn to be filmed. Hideo Kojima's little gem, released in 2020 and whose sequel, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach will be released exclusively on PS5 on June 26th, will be adapted into an animated film, led by Kojima Productions and the Californian studio Line Mileage.
According to initial information, it would be an animated film aimed at an adult audience, and an original story integrated into the game's universe. At the helm is Aaron Guzikowski, screenwriter of the film Prisoners, and creator of the excellent (but unfortunately canceled) science fiction series Raised by Wolves. Needless to say, this is not his first attempt. With Hideo Kojima supervising, the project is full of promise.
As a reminder, this upcoming animated film isn't the only adaptation in the works based on the Death Stranding universe. Studio A24 and Kojima Productions have been working on a live-action feature film since 2022, whose story will take place this time before the events of the video game, thus featuring new characters. No release date has yet been announced.
The history of video games, which have featured Norman Reedus, Mads Mikkelsen, Léa Seydoux, and Guillermo del Toro in motion capture, lends itself very well to the medium. Kojima has always wanted to inject a strong cinematic dimension into his games, through a strong narrative experience for the player with the controller in hand, long cutscenes, and very deep dialogue.
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