Hey, remember the Ghost of Tsushima movie that's in the works from the director of the John Wick movies? As much as that sounds like an oddly specific Mad Libs result, it's actually a thing that's happening. But ever since its announcement, precious little has been revealed about the project. Don't worry, though. That information drought has finally been broken, sort of.
Chad Stahelski, director of the John Wick films as well as the upcoming movie adaptation of Ghost of Tsushima, seems to be taking the whole idea very seriously. During a recent interview, he offered the tiniest nuggets of info regarding the particularly hype-worthy idea, and it looks as though he'll have some help from the minds behind the original Ghost of Tsushima game. The developers at Insomniac are well known for going the extra mile for their games, and now it looks like that includes traversing the boundary between video games and cinema.
IGN caught up with Stahelski on the red carpet for The Matrix Resurrections, and while the subject of the day was pretty well set in stone, they managed to coax a few tidbits out of the former stunt performer regarding Ghost of Tsushima. "We just want to do it right," Stahelski said when asked about the ambitious project. "You know how video game adaptions can go. So we're taking our time and doing it right. We're working very closely with the game developers to make sure we stick to what's great about it."
Stahelski went on to clarify that the film is currently still in the scripting phase, meaning that it will be quite some time before any truly juicy news comes out. So anybody hoping to hear whether Daisuke Tsuji would reprise his role as Jin Sakai will likely still have to wait a while before finding some satisfaction on that bit of hope. But he did say that he believes fans of Ghost of Tsushima "would be very happy with what we're working on." The story of a defeated samurai rising up to become his homeland's protector while discovering his own definition of honor does admittedly seem like some great fodder for a fun action-filled blockbuster.
This does very much seem like a passion project, as appears to be the case with many of Stahelski's other cinematic endeavors. Having worked in Hollywood as a stunt performer for many years, famously taking on the part of Keanu Reeves' stunt double in the Matrix movies, he's got a unique perspective for someone moving into the director's chair. It seems to help him find that precious balance between characters and action in the John Wick movies. Plus, he's also breaking into the acting front by appearing in The Matrix Resurrections as a character rather hilariously named "Handsome Chad." So Stahelski's ambition clearly has no indication of slowing down.
Again, it'll be a while before any substantial news can be found regarding the Ghost of Tsushima movie. But fans should rest easy knowing it's in good hands. Stahelski has admitted that he got the idea for the movie after playing the game over and over, which frankly sounds like something every gamer out there has wanted to do at some point in their lives. So sit back and watch while he builds the dream shared by geeky dreamers everywhere.
Ghost of Tsushima is in development.
Source: IGN