Death Stranding Delivers an Animated Series to Disney+ in 2027
Death Stranding is trekking to Disney+ in 2027, as Hideo Kojima partners with the streamer on an animated series expanding his post-apocalyptic world.
If you thought Death Stranding was done surprising people, think again. Hideo Kojima just rolled up to Disney's Asia Pacific showcase in Hong Kong and dropped a new one: an animated series set in the Death Stranding universe is happening at Disney+, aiming for 2027. Yes, Disney and Kojima are teaming up. That combo is not what my 2019 brain had on the bingo card.
Quick refresher: Kojima and Kojima Productions launched Death Stranding back in 2019, then finally delivered the sequel, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, earlier this year. There is also a live-action movie of the first game brewing at A24 with Michael Sarnoski (A Quiet Place: Day One) writing and directing. So the franchise is spreading out in a few directions at once, and now animation joins the party.
What Kojima just announced
- Title: 'Death Stranding Isolations' (working title)
- Where to watch: Disney+
- When: Targeting 2027
- Story setup: Brand-new tale in the Death Stranding world, not a retread of the games. It follows a young man and a young woman who head out on an adventure. That is intentionally vague, and I assume the point.
- Format: Traditional, hand-drawn 2D animation (a deliberate choice, not an afterthought)
- Director: Takayuki Sano (Bullet/Bullet, Gridman Universe)
- Art: Concept art shown at the Hong Kong event came from Ilya Kuvshinov, who did character design on Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045
- Animation studio: E&H Production (Ninja Kamui, Red Cat Ramen), billed as one of Japan's top shops, is on board
- Kojima x Disney history: They previously teamed on the doc 'Hideo Kojima: Connecting Worlds'
Kojima also said he wants to push the franchise into animation precisely because of what animation can do that live-action cannot, and because there are plenty of people who will never pick up a controller but might click play on Disney+.
"It is going to be pretty mind-blowing."
He emphasized that the series features new and different characters rather than parachuting in the game cast. If you were bracing for a straight adaptation, this is not that. It is closer to a parallel expedition through the same stormy world.
Also worth noting: this announcement landed at Disney's Asia Pacific originals showcase. That tracks with Disney's current strategy in the region and makes the hand-drawn approach feel even more intentional. And yes, it is a little wild to see Kojima's bleak courier apocalypse and Disney+ sharing a release calendar, but here we are.
Curious where you land on this one. Excited for a fresh, 2D spin on Death Stranding, or are you waiting for the A24 movie first?