Death Stranding is getting a major anime adaptation, courtesy of Disney and production studio E&H Production. As announced, Death Stranding Isolations – currently in development for a 2027 release – will tell an original story set in the world of the game.
Death Stranding Isolations – quick links
What is Death Stranding Isolations about?
Per plot details confirmed by Kojima Productions, this new story will follow a man and a woman on separate paths through a post-apocalyptic world, whose ‘ fates and hopes converge, as another story of Death Stranding begins.’
‘[Isolations] follows in the footsteps of the original in spirit and ideas and depict the world of Death Stranding through a bold and yet subtle touch and top-class hand-drawn animation … Somewhere in North America, just as Sam Bridges walks through the continent in order to save America, the someones are also trying to deal with their isolation in their own way.’
‘An old man trying to realise salvation through ways outside of the connection advocated by Bridges. A female warrior who tries to kickstart a world of constant fighting. A boy with a grudge against Bridges. A girl who embraces loneliness.’
Key art has revealed the two protagonists – the ‘boy with a grudge against Bridges’ and the ‘female warrior’ who will eventually form a new connection, and set off to explore a decimated world.
Will Norman Reedus appear in the Death Stranding anime?
Given Death Stranding protagonist Sam Porter Bridges is specifically mentioned in the story synopsis for this anime adaptation, we do expect he’ll appear in some form. At this stage, it remains a mystery whether Reedus will appear as a spectre haunting the ‘boy’ protagonist, or whether he’ll actually appear in a voiced role – but it does feel likely that Bridges’ presence will be important to the story.
It also seems like the anime will take place in parallel to Death Stranding, mirroring the events of this game and its sequel, in some form. We’re likely to see connections between the two, whether that’s in the form of broadcasts, or hints at events taking place elsewhere.
What else we know about Death Stranding Isolations
Beyond this, we only have a few other clues about what to expect of Death Stranding Isolations.
We know Kojima Productions is on board, with Hideo Kojima serving as an executive producer. We also know the show will be directed by Takayuki Sano, whose credits include Attack on Titan, Transformers, and Dragon Ball Z, and that character designs will be handled by Ilya Kuvshinov (Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045).
Beyond this, all we really know is there’s ample enthusiasm for this project, as it was a flagship announcement at the recent Disney+ Originals Preview event at Hong Kong Disneyland Resort.
As one of the first major video game adaptations from Disney, there’s certainly plenty of intrigue about what’s to come. Stay tuned for more on Death Stranding Isolations as we learn it.
Also on ScreenHub: Hideo Kojima and George Miller on the power of video games and cinema
A young Hideo Kojima saw Mad Max at the cinema, and it changed the trajectory of his life. Filled with a burning desire to create, to tell stories that mattered, he found himself developing video games, inspired by filmic sensibilities. During Sydney Film Festival (SFF) 2025, Kojima spoke about this journey alongside the man responsible for this inspiration, Mad Max director and creator George Miller, with both sharing their admiration for each other, and discussing the impact cinema and video games can have.
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