Hit 2020 game is being turned into a film from the director of 'John Wick'
'Ghost of Tsushima' was a beautiful swansong for the PlayStation 4 when it was released in the summer of 2020, and work on a film version is progressing nicely.
'John Wick' franchise director Chad Stahelski said he has "the full backing of Sony" in making it as accurate and faithful depiction of the game as possible.
The game follows the adventures of Jin Sakai, a warrior fighting against Mongol invaders for the freedom of the Japanese island of Tsushima.
The game was a smash hit for the PlayStation 4, and the Director's Cut of the game on PlayStation 5 has also proved to be a hit with players.
Speaking to Collider, Stahelski said "I think if we did this right, it would be visually stunning. It’s character driven. It’s got an opportunity for great action, great looks. And honestly, we’d to try to do it, all in character."
"It’s a Japanese thing about the Mongols invading Tsushima island. A complete Japanese cast, in Japanese. Sony is so on board with backing us on that," he added.
Stahelski noted he's a fan of the works of famed Japanese director Akira Kurosawa, and said he would channel his reverence for the director in the making of the film.
"It’s a fantasy period piece. It’s done with reverence to Akira Kurosawa, who’s probably in the top five biggest influences of my life as far as film goes."
The game features a "Kurosawa mode" which gives the game a black-and-white filter like the films of Kurosawa and stark subtitles on the bottom of the screen
Sharing a bit more about his hopes for the film, the action director said "it’s a chance to push technology and people in a story that’s timeless - it's your typical mythological story of good versus evil, finding a man, watching him change the world or the world changes him. It’s all the Joseph Campbell stuff that you’d love in a story."
Stahelski is gearing up for the next installment of the 'John Wick' franchise, which is due out for release next year.