Death Stranding Movie Won’t Recount Game’s Plot: Director Michael Sarnoski Shares Script and Location Scouting Updates

The feature-length film adaptation of Death Stranding from independent studio A24 and Kojima Productions is moving into practical preparation. Director and writer Michael Sarnoski (Pig, A Quiet Place: Day One) confirmed in a conversation with BAFTA that he is finalizing the script and preparing to scout filming locations.

New Characters and Creative Freedom From Kojima

The movie will not be a literal retelling of the original game’s plot. As the director clarified in a comment to TechRadar, Hideo Kojima granted the creators complete creative freedom. The film will explore a lesser-known corner of the Death Stranding universe and focus on entirely new characters while preserving the atmosphere of existential solitude and the visual style of the source material.

Kojima himself is overseeing production as a producer: the game designer personally reviews script drafts and shares his feedback with Sarnoski.

“I’m really happy with how the script is coming along, and I’m continuing to polish it. I think it’s turning out great, but I’m still very nervous: it’s extremely important to me that the film resonates with fans of the original game,” the director admitted.

Location Scouting and Casting Status

The team’s immediate production plans include location scouting for filming sites. Sarnoski mentioned that the crew plans to set out for location scouting in about a month. To convey the atmosphere of a ruined world with timefall rains and basalt wastelands, the filmmakers will need to find rugged, deserted landscapes.

Casting remains an open question. Game star Norman Reedus previously stated that he would happily appear in the project if invited, but no official offer has been made. Given the focus on a new storyline, classic characters from the game will likely feature as story references or brief cameos, if they appear on screen at all.

A24 has not yet announced a release window for the film, but the transition to location scouting confirms that the adaptation has moved past early concepts and is preparing for full-scale production.