"The script will never be finished" — the Death Stranding movie's director talks about when filming starts

Michael Sarnoski, who directed the drama "Pig" and the horror film "A Quiet Place: Day One," shared fresh details on the Death Stranding film adaptation. He's happy with the script, but keeps going back and revising it — for him the process matters more than reaching a final version, the director explained.

That said, production has moved past just talk. In a month the team heads out for location scouting, and the film is about to enter pre-production. According to trade press, filming will take place in Iceland and Northern Ireland, with shooting set to start in 2027 — there's still no concrete theatrical release date.

The story will remain standalone: Sarnoski is writing an original narrative with its own characters rather than adapting Sam Porter Bridges' journey. The director has previously said the film's events could take place alongside the game's, and that familiar characters might still show up on screen. Hideo Kojima is producing and has already approved a draft, and the director himself is promising a "standalone emotional adventure" meant to appeal even to people who never played the game.

The original game launched in November 2019 on PlayStation 4 and reached PC in the summer of 2020. Norman Reedus played the lead role of the courier stitching a torn-apart America back together. The adaptation is being made by A24, which is simultaneously working on an Elden Ring film and clearly betting heavily on video game adaptations.

Do you believe the Death Stranding film will actually make it to a set in 2027 — or is this just another project that'll get rewritten forever?