Kojima Hideo made a surprise appearance at the Disney+ originals Asia Pacific preview event, where he announced the upcoming animated series “Death Stranding Isolations” (working title). The series, based on his popular video game franchise, is set to premiere exclusively on Disney+ in 2027.
Accompanied by series director Sano Takayuki, Kojima revealed that this project marks Kojima Productions’ first collaboration with a global streaming platform. Concept art for the series was unveiled at the event, created by Ilya Kuvshinov, known for his work on “Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045.”
In this animated series, Kojima will take on the role of executive producer, overseeing a new story set within the “Death Stranding” universe. The narrative will focus on a young man and woman embarking on an adventure, portrayed through traditional hand-drawn 2D animation. Animation for the series will be handled by Japan’s E&H production.
The “Death Stranding” franchise originally debuted in 2019 as a PlayStation game, garnering a large following of over 20 million players worldwide. The series was further expanded with the release of “Death Stranding 2: On the Beach,” exclusively on PlayStation 5.
Kojima, renowned as the pioneer of the stealth game genre, founded Kojima Productions in 2015. He was honored with the prestigious BAFTA Fellowship in 2020 for his significant contributions to the gaming industry. The original “Death Stranding” game featured performances from actors such as Norman Reedus, Mads Mikkelsen, and LĆ©a Seydoux.
The collaboration with Disney+ marks a trend of gaming intellectual properties transitioning into the realm of streaming animation. This follows the success of adaptations like Netflix’s “Castlevania,” “Arcane,” and “Cyberpunk: Edgerunners.”
The announcement of “Death Stranding Isolations” has sparked excitement among fans of the franchise, as they eagerly anticipate the unique storytelling and visual experience that Kojima and his team will deliver in this animated series. Stay tuned for more updates on this highly anticipated project as it progresses towards its premiere on Disney+ in 2027.
