Director Chad Stahelski Offers an Update on His Film GHOST OF TSUSHIMA – “We’re Very Close to Getting Our Stuff Together”

John Wick franchising director Chad Stahelski has developed a film adaptation of the epic video game Ghost of Tsushima and last we heard, this could very well be his next film project. This is one of the few projects Stahelski has worked on in recent years. Others include Highlanders AND Rainbow you are.

The director offered a recent update on the project and where it currently stands in the development process. He explained to Screen Rant that the script is ready and is almost ready. He said:

“We have a script, we’re very close to getting our stuff together on this one too. Development is always complicated, it’s the studios, the strikes, the availability and the scouting. You have to want things to exist. I think the two things at that I’m most attached to and most interested in are Highlander and Ghost of Tsushima. Both amazing, amazing properties, Ghost’s story is also one of my favorite properties of all time.”

Stahelski has previously spoken about how this is a passion project for him. As a film he’s incredibly excited to make, I hope it’s the next one he tackles. This is the movie I want to see:

“One of the projects I’m most passionate about is Ghost of Tsushima. Everyone is realizing that it’s one of the greatest video games ever made, so it’s a challenge not to do less than what the Sucker Punch guys did, to use an all-Japanese, all-Asian cast for the Mongolians, and having the rest of the world behind it, it’s a beautiful thing to do. It doesn’t have to be all subtitled, all in English, there’s a way to express it. For anyone who knows the game, it’s an amazing story, it’s an incredible myth, it connects to a very specific Japanese mythology, but at the same time transcends any nationality. I think it’s one of the best stories in video games […] I would love to do one of these [next].”

During a previous interview, Stahelski spoke about the game with Joe Rogan and said: “It’s one of the best looking games out there. It has a great story.” As for the story, he explained that it’s about Jin Sakai and the Mongol invasion of Japan and that they had to stop them on Tsushima Island. While the Samurai were getting their asses kicked, “they stopped them enough long for the bad weather to sink them in the kamikaze, the typhoon that hit. He went on to say, “It’s basically the birth of the first shinobi about how we are asked to be something less than a Samurai but more than anything to save his people.”

The story revolves around samurai warrior Jin Sakai, the last surviving member of his clan, who must put aside the traditions that shaped him as a warrior to wage an unconventional war for the freedom of Tsushima.

In another interview, the director also said, “I love the property. The story of Jin Sakai’s game, and being what I would say is “the most anti-samurai samurai movie out there”, due to the plots, the themes in it, and the journey that Jin Sakai goes through […] it’s so interesting to me The characters in the story are definitely something I don’t want to miss in any way.

Speaking about the challenges of developing this epic story for the big screen, he said: “The issue isn’t whether we have great material, we know we have great material. It’s how do we make it palpable on any platform. You know, how we do it a great two, two and a half hour movie out of all that? Make it satisfying and leave it open to expand further from there. That’s the real challenge. How to take so much great and bring it to a watchable level.”

Stahelski also spoke about the project and the approach he plans to take. He spoke specifically about the game’s stunning graphics and how he will try to surpass what the games did in his film. He explained:

“Ghost of Tsushima is a really interesting story if you really dive into Jin Sakai’s story and what the movie is really about. And you tie it to these extraordinary images. You can already tell from the John Wick movies that I love color and I love composition. To really try to not only live up to but surpass what the game has done with its graphics is absolutely fascinating to me. So this is something we are currently researching and working on. For example, how can you push the color palette? How can you bring that world to life in a very realistic and grounded way?

He went on to share his vision for the film, saying that it will feature “a full Japanese cast, in Japanese.” She also plans to create an authentic Japanese experience and celebrate her “love of the country, love of the people, love of the language.” He said:

“Honestly, it’s probably the same stuff that would scare the hell out of most people. It’s a fantasy period piece. It’s made with reverence for Akira Kurosawa, who is probably in the top five influences of my life as far as cinema goes .

“It’s an opportunity to push technology and people into a timeless story. It’s the typical mythological story of good versus evil, finding a man, seeing him change the world or the world changes him. It’s all Joseph Campbell stuff that you’d have love in a story You put it in, obviously, so I’ve been told I have a bit of a Samurai fetish, which is probably true of Manga and anime and stuff like that.

“So, I think if we did it right, it would be visually stunning. It’s character-driven. It has the opportunity for great action, great look. And honestly, we’d try to do it, all in character. Meaning, it’s a thing Japanese about the Mongols invading the island of Tsushima.”

He went on to say that Sony Pictures fully supports his vision for the film: “A full Japanese cast, in Japanese. Sony is so supportive of supporting us in this. I’ve been going to Japan since I was 16.” She added:

“I love the country, I love the people, I love the language. Trying to direct not just in my own language, but in someone else’s and culturally changing my mindset to distinguish it in an interesting way that still appeals to a Western audience.”

This movie is going to be amazing and the sooner it gets made the better. We need another great Samurai movie!