The Ghost of Tsushima movie director wants to film ‘in Japanese, with an all-Japanese cast’
Chad Stahelski says he has the backing of Sony
The director of the upcoming Ghost of Tsushima movie has revealed his intention to film the picture entirely in Japanese, with a complete cast of Japanese actors.
Speaking to Collider, Chad Stahelski (John Wick: Chapter 4) claimed he had the full support of Sony to make the Tsushima movie as authentic as possible, and shared his own personal love of Japanese culture.
“I think if we did this right, it would be visually stunning. It’s character driven. It’s got an opportunity for great action, great looks. And honestly, we’d to try to do it, all in character,” he said.
“Meaning, 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.”
He added: “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.”
The PlayStation video game follows Jin Sakai, a warrior fighting against Mongol invaders for the freedom of Tsushima in an adventure that draws on Japanese history and the traditions of samurai cinema.
The game’s audio options also allow players to select a Japanese track with English subtitles, in order for a more immersive experience.
Further discussing the movie adaptation, Stahelski said: “Honestly, it’s probably the same things that would scare the shit out of most people.
“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.
“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. It’s all the Joseph Campbell stuff that you’d love in a story.
“You put that in with, obviously, so I’m told I have a bit of a Samurai fetish, which is probably true from Manga and anime and stuff.”
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Following the Uncharted movie, Ghost of Tsushima is the second film project from PlayStation Productions. The studio was formed in 2019 by Sony Interactive Entertainment to adapt its original game properties for film and TV in partnership with Sony Pictures.
PlayStation Productions is also working on a The Last of Us HBO TV series and a Twisted Metal TV series from Deadpool’s writers, among other projects.
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