The Ghost of Tsushima Movie Needs To Build on Shogun’s Success

Posted by By our-little-miss-is-home December 23, 2024 18 Views 9 Min Read
The Ghost of Tsushima Movie Needs To Build on Shogun's Success



Summary

  • Ghost of Tsushima was praised for its culturally accurate portrayal of Japanese history and culture in gaming.
  • The Shōgun series on FX also depicted Japanese culture accurately, setting a standard for representation.
  • The upcoming Ghost of Tsushima movie should follow Shōgun’s blueprint to succeed.

Ghost of Tsushima has become a beloved title in the gaming world and excitement is high for the film adaptation, which is in development at Sony Pictures. One title that serves as a great touchstone for the Ghost of Tsushima movie is FX’s Shōgun.

Ghost of Tsushima was released in 2020 and was a brand-new IP from Sucker Punch Productions, the studio known for the Infamous and Sly Cooper games. The open-world historical action-adventure game introduced players to Jin Sakai, a samurai determined to save his island home of Tsushima from the invasion of the Mongol forces. The game scored 83 on Metacritic and released additional content in the form of a multiplayer mode and a Director’s Cut. Next up for the franchise is a sequel in 2025 titled Ghost of Yotei as well as the much anticipated film adaptation.

Jin finding his sword in ghost of tsushima

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Ghost of Tsushima Movie Wish List

The Ghost of Tsushima movie will need to get a few things right to be a faithful adaptation of the game and live up to its full potential.

Ghost of Tsushima Did Something Special in Gaming

When Ghost of Tsushima was released in 2020 it was to high praise. The execution of Ghost of Tsushima’s world in such a culturally accurate and authentic way was a highlight. While the game curated a fictional narrative, it was grounded in history and the world around it was meticulously detailed to evoke the setting and culture of the time. Sucker Punch Productions, which is a U.S.-based studio, collaborated with Sony’s Japan Studio to ensure the authenticity of its world and story, so when players entered the game, it was like experiencing a slice of Japanese history.

Ghost of Tsushima was also momentous for its respect of the world it was playing in and introduced significant elements like the inclusion of a Japanese voice track for its dialogue, with English and Japanese-speaking actors cast in each role. The game took inspiration from classic Samurai movies and even introduced a black and white “Kurosawa” mode in tribute to legendary Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa. Every element of Ghost of Tsushima, from the native flora and fauna to its music and combat stances, was steeped in research to make it authentic to the Japanese world the game was representing.

Shogun Was A Major Moment

Shōgun

Cast

Hiroyuki Sanada, Cosmo Jarvis, Anna Sawai, Tadanobu Asano

Creators

Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks, based on the story by James Clavell

Streaming on

Hulu

Ghost of Tsushima was a major moment for its representation of Japanese culture in gaming, particularly for a Western audience. FX’s Shōgun series did a similar thing for television. The historical drama series swept the awards season earlier this year and has been hailed as one of the best series of the year if not all time. Shōgun adapts James Clavell’s famed 1975 novel of the same name for the screen. It follows the paths of two ambitious men from different worlds, the shipwrecked risk-taking English sailor John Blackthorne, and the powerful daimyo Lord Taranaga. Like Ghost of Tsushima, its story is a work of fiction but is grounded in the historical authenticity of the time.

The Shōgun team made conscious choices throughout development and production to ensure that the series was mindful and accurate to the culture it was portraying.

The Shōgun team made conscious choices throughout development and production to ensure that the series was mindful and accurate to the culture it was portraying. A high percentage of Shōgun’s dialogue is presented in Japanese with a majorly Japanese cast and research was done to ensure settings, props, and costumes were accurate to that period in Japanese history. The work paid off with Shogun being widely praised by Western audiences but also well-received in Japan. It even had legendary Japanese game creator Hideo Kojima singing its praises.

The Ghost of Tsushima Movie Should Follow Shogun’s Blueprint

Ghost of Tsushima Chad Stahelski John Wick 4

With Ghost of Tsushima serving as such a watershed moment for Japanese representation in gaming, the film adaptation mustn’t drop the ball on this. That’s where following Shōgun’s blueprint can be to its benefit. All that’s known about the Ghost of Tsushima movie right now is that it is being directed by Chad Stehelski with a script being written by Takashi Doscher. Doscher. Stahelski is a stuntman-turned-director with a history of directing and producing high-stakes action films like John Wick. Doscher’s work includes writing and directing the feature films Only and Still. There hasn’t been much word on the adaptation since Doscher’s hiring in 2022, but it is no doubt a priority for Sony given the uptick in video game adaptations of late.

The Ghost of Tsushima Film Can Provide More Authentic Japanese Representation

When it comes to approaching Ghost of Tsushima as a film, it will be important for the creative team to handle it in a similar way to the creatives on the game, by prioritizing the accuracy of Japanese history and culture. Similar to Shōgun, the Ghost of Tsushima movie can utilize an all-Japanese cast and dialogue to ground the film in that world and could even incorporate the black-and-white Kurosawa mode that was introduced in the game. Ironically, Shogun cast member Hiroyuki Sanada is even rumored for a role in Ghost of Tsushima, which is a positive sign. The creatives on both sides could even collaborate to share resources and knowledge on bringing a historical Japanese story to the screen for a Western audience. If done correctly, the Ghost of Tsushima movie has every chance at being just as successful and culturally impactful as Shōgun, which will also add to the legacy of Sucker Punch’s game.

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