Ghost Of Tsushima Movie Will Be In Japanese

Jin Sakai is sharpening his sword, as Sony's Ghost of Tsushima movie prepares to slice its way onto our screens. Sucker Punch Productions was once known for the Infamous games, but after Ghost of Tsushima released in 2020, it'll be forever known for this Japanese showstopper.

Video game adaptations are everywhere right now, but sadly, for every Sonic the Hedgehog, we have a Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City. You name it, it's getting a live-action treatment. There's the recent divisive reception of Paramount's Halo series, while upcoming adaptations include everything from the Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey-led The Last of Us to a Pac-Man movie.

What's Going On With The Ghost Of Tsushima Movie?

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Speaking to Collider, Director Chad Stahelski explained how the live-action Ghost of Tsushima plans to be entirely in Japanese. You might remember the game included a Japanese track with English subtitles. Stahelski said doing a movie in Japanese is one those things "that would scare the sh*t out of most people." Still, he wants to honour the legacy of the game.

"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," said Stahelski. "I've been going to Japan since I was 16. I have a love of the country, love of the people, love of the language. To try to direct not only in my language, but someone else's and culturally shift my mindset to bring apart that in a cool way that still entices a Western audience."

As for what Ghost of Tsushima will look like, Stahelski confirmed, "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," said Stahelski. "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." 

When Will The Ghost Of Tsushima Movie Release?

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Stahelski has praised a "visually stunning" adaptation, but then again, he would. We've seen enough middling outings like 2018's Tomb Raider to know that trying to reinvent the wheel doesn't always work. There was nothing wrong with Roar Uthaug's version of Lara Croft, but it wasn't exactly a genre-defining outing. Stahelski is known for directing the John Wick movies, so at least he knows how to handle the action. 

There's no official release date for the Ghost of Tsushima movie, however, things are moving along nicely. On April 12, Takashi Doscher was brought on to write a screenplay, so we hope casting could get underway soon. Much like how Destin Daniel Cretton's Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and Bong Joon-ho's Parasite mainstreamed Chinese and South Korean theatre in the West, Ghost of Tsushima could make waves. Then again, with the history of video game movies, it could go either way.