Ghost of Tsushima is beloved by fans for many reasons, whether that be its brilliant combat mechanics, beautiful visuals, or richly crafted open world. Not the least of these praises is its compelling story and characters, which fans grow to love after playing through the game. For this reason, players were beyond excited when it was revealed that a live action movie adapting Ghost of Tsushima was in the works, but that excitement came with equal parts nervousness. Video game adaptation movies historically aren't well received, and although that has been changing in recent years, it's still a cause for concern.
One thing that fans have rallied around in an effort to ensure that the Ghost of Tsushima movie doesn't fall into the same trap is the idea that it should stick close to the original story and characters of the game. Rather than try and reinvent Ghost of Tsushima, give fans and newcomers alike another avenue to enjoy all the things that made the game great. This desire for the movie to keep more things from the game than it discards doesn't just apply to the story, however. The modern way in which the video game was developed could make it incredibly easy to make into a live action movie.
Ghost of Tsushima Movie - Keep the Story
Obviously, the main thing that players are concerned about is the story of Ghost of Tsushima. Sometimes video game movies create wacky scenarios and change things for the sake of making changes, and fans don't want that to happen here. Sucker Punch's award winning game is the story of Jin, the last Samurai on the island of Tsushima, as he struggles with upholding his own code of honor and doing what he needs to do to keep his island safe from the Mongol invasion.
Naturally there are some elements of the game that will need to be taken out. The numerous side quests, as compelling as they are, just wouldn't fit into a two hour movie, and few would enjoy watching Jin run around and pick up flowers, Sashimono Banners, and Mongol artifacts. Even these types of collectibles could still be incorporated in some way though, as a scene showing Jin writing a Haiku or following a fox to an Inari Shrine would help to set the tone of the movie and deepen Jin's character. Ultimately, fans are expecting to see both Jin's internal struggle and his struggle against Khotun Khan, and any changes would seem unnecessary.
Ghost of Tsushima Movie - Keep the Actors
Although the executive roles for the film have been mostly revealed, there is still no word on what actors might play the characters. A common request from fans is to keep things simple, hiring the actors from the games to reprise their roles. Thanks to the modern way in which Ghost of Tsushima was created, this would actually be fairly simple. Each of the actors for the many characters not only perform as the voices of said characters, but also as the motion capture actors and facial models.
This push started when Bryan Dechart called for Daisuke Tsuji to play Jin Sakai in the movie. The sentiment among many fans seems to be that there's no one better to play Jin in the movie than Jin himself. When other voice actors like Earl T. Kim (VA, MoCap actor, and facial model for Norio) responded in support of this, fans rallied around him reprising his role as well. This led to a movement that called for the original cast from the game to return for the live action movie. This is one major thing that the Ghost of Tsushima movie should keep from the game.
Ghost of Tsushima Movie - Keep Kurosawa Mode
As Ghost of Tsushima was inspired by the classic Samurai movies of the legendary Akira Kurosawa, it stands to reason that a Ghost of Tsushima movie would be modeled after these heavily as well. In the game, players could choose to play in Kurosawa Mode, causing the screen to be filtered into black and white and setting the character voices to Japanese rather than English. This is something that the film could keep that would make it very unique when compared to other video game movies.
More likely than not, the movie will be filmed in full color and with English voices, but for home releases and streaming services, the Ghost of Tsushima movie could offer a Kurosawa Mode of sorts. Just like in the game, this would transform the movie into a black and white Samurai classic, replacing the voices with a Japanese dub and English subtitles. Fans loved this addition to the game, and it would be very interesting to see it in the movie as well. Although it would certainly be both costly and time consuming, if as much care goes into making the film as Sucker Punch put into the game, that won't be an issue.
Ghost of Tsushima Movie - Ambiguous Ending
One area where fans are somewhat divided is how the Ghost of Tsushima movie should handle the game's ambiguous ending. Spoilers ahead for the final moments of the game. After defeating Khotun Khan and successfully repelling the Mongol invasion, Jin's Uncle Lord Shimura is tasked with killing Jin in an honorable duel. After the two fight, Jin winds up being victorious and is left with a difficult choice. He can kill his uncle, brining honor to the proud Samurai but breaking his own newly developed morals and proving that he is the monster the Shogunate thinks he is, or he can spare him, forcing Shimura into a life of shame and upholding his own beliefs.
The players is able to make this choice in the game, but Ghost of Tsushima never gives any indication of which is the "true ending." There are subtle hints that Shimura still dies even if players choose to spare him, likely as a result of a ritual suicide (seppuku) or by the hand of the Shogun himself. The question then is whether or not the movie should keep the ending ambiguous, perhaps fading to black before Jin makes his decision, or finally give fans an answer as to what really happened after their duel.
Ghost of Tsushima is available now on PS4 and a live action movie is in production.