Death Stranding Live-Action Film Advances Toward Production

Director Michael Sarnoski has finished a second draft of a screenplay for a live-action Death Stranding film. Production is planned for Iceland and Northern Ireland, with a target shooting window in 2026. A24 will co-produce with Ari Aster, Lars Knudsen, and Hideo Kojima, who remains heavily involved.

Death Stranding Movie: A24, shoot date and UAE rele

The project was first announced in 2022, when Kojima called it a “pivotal moment.” In 2023 he clarified the film would not be a direct game adaptation. By early 2026 Sarnoski submitted the second script draft, and mid-2026 reports confirmed the Iceland-Northern Ireland locations.

Death Stranding Movie: A24, shoot date and UAE rele

Sarnoski, known for *Pig* and *A Quiet Place: Day One*, will write and direct. Kojima Productions co-produces, ensuring creative oversight. A24’s involvement brings its prestige-genre expertise, while producers Ari Aster and Lars Knudsen add experience with atmospheric storytelling.

‘Death Stranding’ Movie Director Reveals His Vision for a “Big but Offbeat” A24 Adaptation

Sarnoski says the film will be large-scale yet offbeat and character-driven, set in the series’ bleak, post-apocalyptic world. He stresses that violence will be limited and serve exploration rather than shock, aligning with the games’ focus on connection and survival.

‘Death Stranding’ Movie Director Reveals His Vision for a “Big but Offbeat” A24 Adaptation

Kojima emphasized that the film will expand the Death Stranding universe in ways that only the medium of film can achieve. Sarnoski told Variety that the screenplay focuses on atmosphere and character, and that any action will serve the story rather than exist for shock value.

DEATH STRANDING Director Teases Action-Packed Movie Adaptation, But Don’t Expect Extreme Gore — GeekTyrant

Some fans feared Sarnoski’s recent *The Death of Robin Hood* would bring graphic gore to the adaptation. Sarnoski responded that Death Stranding will feature limited violence, focusing on thematic depth and world-building rather than extreme gore.

DEATH STRANDING Director Teases Action-Packed Movie Adaptation, But Don’t Expect Extreme Gore — GeekTyrant

Sources differ on the exact start of principal photography—some cite “next year” (relative to a 2026 interview) while others fix 2026 as the target. No cast list or global release date has been confirmed, leaving distribution details uncertain.

Death Stranding Movie: A24, shoot date and UAE rele

• “I want it to feel big, but also offbeat and character driven.” — Michael Sarnoski, Director

Death Stranding Movie: A24, shoot date and UAE rele

• “There's definitely a lot of, like, action and excitement to it.” — Michael Sarnoski, Director

DEATH STRANDING Director Teases Action-Packed Movie Adaptation, But Don’t Expect Extreme Gore — GeekTyrant

• “In Death Stranding, the sort of violence and action is about exploration and about understanding the world more deeply,” — Michael Sarnoski, Director

Death Stranding movie director promises we're "not gonna see a lot of jaws getting ripped off" after his gory Robin Hood flick, as preparations for next year's filming continue

• “We are creating a Death Stranding universe that has never been seen before," Kojima said at the time, "achievable only through the medium of film, it will be born".” — Hideo Kojima, Creator

Death Stranding movie director promises we're "not gonna see a lot of jaws getting ripped off" after his gory Robin Hood flick, as preparations for next year's filming continue

Filming is slated for 2026 in Iceland and Northern Ireland, followed by post-production and a tentative theatrical release no earlier than 2027. An animated series and a Disney Plus anime film, both set in the Death Stranding universe, are also scheduled for 2027.

IGN Entertainment