Sucker Punch Productions Game Director Nate Fox announced on the PlayStation Blog that a live-action feature film based on the mega-hit game, Ghost of Tsushima, is currently in the works. Per Fox, Sucker Punch Productions is partnering with Sony Pictures to develop the feature. Along with the announcement, Nate Fox also confirmed the game has sold a massive 6.5 million copies since the game’s July 2020 launch.
Speaking on the news of a new movie being in the works, Nate Fox noted the following:
“A Ghost of Tsushima movie is in the works! The idea of translating our game into a new medium is exciting, and we’re intrigued by the possibilities. We’ve all been brought to tears in a movie theater surrounded by strangers. (Thanks a lot, E.T.) We’ve all gone to a movie on opening night when the crowd is so excited that they cheer as the lights go down. It’s a group experience that isn’t replicated anywhere else. To think that we could sit in the theater someday watching Jin Sakai up on the big screen is amazing. We’d all relive his tense transformation into the Ghost from a whole new vantage point.
“We are happy to partner with Sony Pictures to make this happen. And Jin is in very good hands with the film’s director. Chad Stahelski created something special with John Wick. His vision for what could be, backed up by years of experience, combined to create some of the finest action scenes ever created. If anyone could bring to life the razor-sharp tension of Jin’s katana combat, it’s Chad Stahelski.”
As also reported by Deadline, John Wick director Chad Stahelski is attached to direct the project. Stahelski will also produce the film along with Alex Young and Jason Spits through their production company, 87Eleven Entertainment. Asad Qizilbash and Carter Swan are producing the film under the PlayStation Productions Banner.
The creators at Sucker Punch are also along for the ride as Executive Producers, with the company’s Peter Kang overseeing the film for the studio.
Considering how heavily Ghost of Tsushima is influenced by Japanese cinema and filmmakers such as Akira Kurosawa, it seems appropriate to attempt to translate the experience to a feature film. The story follows a samurai warrior, Jin Sakai, the last survivor of his clan who seeks to protect Tsushima Island from the first Mongol Invasion of Japan.
Released exclusively for the PlayStation 4 console, Ghost of Tsushima has been a massive success for Sucker Punch and Sony Interactive Entertainment. Besides selling 6.5 million copies, the title received multiple Game of the Year Award nominations and took home Best Art Direction and the Player’s Voice Award at the 2020 Game Awards ceremony.