The good news is, the Ghost of Tsushima movie is still happening. The bad news… It may not be happening as soon as some had hoped.
Action-adventure game Ghost of Tsushima released back in 2020 receiving high praise from critics and players alike. So much so it was announced that a live-action movie would be made based on the game.
We heard back in 2021 that a movie was in the works to transform the story of Jin Saki onto the big screen. Fans were overjoyed at the idea of seeing Jin become the Ghost in a live-action feature film. What many were also pleased about was that the film’s director was said to be Chad Stahelski, who is mainly known for his work on the John Wick franchise.
Ghost of Tsushima on the big screen
The game proved itself popular, selling 2.4 million units worldwide in just its first three days. As of July last year, the Sucker Punch Productions game had accumulated lifetime sales that amounted to 9.73 million units. So, with a ready-made fan base, great source material, and Stahelski at the helm, fans were eager to learn more about the movie.
However, things have been quiet on that front, until now. In a recent interview with Total Film, the John Wick director spoke on the Ghost of Tsushima movie. While Stahelski seemed excited about the project, he also made it clear he’s a busy man and there is some uncertainty on which projects will come first.
Stahelski commented saying, “[Ghost of Tsushima] would be my favourite to do next. Without going into crazy detail, it’s something I’m super interested in. We have a really great script. We have a really good creative team behind it. It’s just about getting all the business end of things locked in. It’s kind of in that little bit of flux where everybody is trying to tighten up the deal to get everything going. And to make sure we do the best with it. It’s a simple thing, getting a great script, and starting to put together a cast. It just takes a lot of moving parts.”
Not all bad news
Although that statement makes it clear that development still has a long way to go, there’s hope too. Firstly, it’s still happening, Stahelski is on board and excited about the project. It would seem that the script has been adapted and that process has gone well which means it’s a case of getting the logistics settled and casting.
Stahelski went on to say, “Obviously, ‘Ghost’ is a special project. Everybody realises it. Everybody wants to do it, with the introduction of new technologies and a new way to do the epic samurai vibe. There’s just a lot of things to put together before we really pull the trigger on making it, mostly from my side creatively. And we’re in that process right now, trying to pull everything together so we knock it out of the park.”
Some fans may be disappointed that the project is perhaps not as far along as they had hoped. However, taking the time to ensure the movie is done right will please everyone in the long run.
Part of the issue here is probably down to the busy schedule of Stahelski. John Wick four is wrapped, however, Stahleski has been developing a Highlander reboot for some time. There was even a recent announcement that the ex-stunt man was on board for a Rainbow Six movie. If the Ghost of Tsushima movie can follow recent games to TV/movie trends such as The Last of Us then fans will be in for a treat, whenever it may be.
Paige Cook is a writer with a multi-media background. She has experience covering video games and technology and also has freelance experience in video editing, graphic design, and photography. Paige is a massive fan of the movie industry and loves a good TV show, if she is not watching something interesting then she's probably playing video games or buried in a good book. Her latest addiction is virtual photography and currently spends far too much time taking pretty pictures in games rather than actually finishing them.
