Sony has big ambitions for Ghost of Yotei — and Sucker Punch’s Ghost series — and wants to expand the video games into movies, TV shows and other spinoffs.
Herman Hulst, CEO of Sony’s studio business group, said in an interview with The New York Times that expanding PlayStation franchises into other entertainment formats will encourage fans to return to the original games, something the company has seen firsthand with HBO’s hit series “The Last of Us.”
“From a business perspective, it makes a lot of sense,” Hulst says. “When a TV series or movie comes out, people want to play again or make friends to play with.”
Ghost of Yotei Screenshots – State of Play September 2024
Ghost of Yoda, a sequel to the PS4 game Ghost of Tsushima and set to release on PS5 in 2025, is billed as the start of an official franchise that will include at least one film and other spinoffs. A film based on Ghost of Tsushima has been in the works for some time, with John Wick director Chad Stahelski at the helm.
Sony Pictures and PlayStation Productions announced the Ghost of Tsushima movie in March 2021, and Stahelski said last year that it was “actively in development.”
“I love this film – Nisakai’s game story – and I’d say it’s the most anti-samurai samurai film in terms of its storyline, its themes and the journey that Nisakai goes through,” he said.
Watching Jin transform from honored samurai into a disgraced Ghost of Tsushima, trying to balance his own pride with the survival of his allies, is “very interesting,” Stahelski added. “You’re a character in the story that you never want to lose.”
Director Stahelski has previously said that he wants the film to be perfect, that he wants the cast to be Japanese and that he wants the language to be Japanese, and Sony has said that they are “very supportive of that idea.”
Sony has a track record when it comes to turning PlayStation franchises into blockbuster movies and TV shows: In addition to the aforementioned HBO TV series “The Last of Us,” the Tom Holland-starring “Uncharted” movie grossed roughly $400 million.
The New York Times article also revealed that Ghost of Tsushima has sold 13 million copies to date since its release in 2020, making it one of PlayStation Studios’ most successful games in history.
Creative directors Nate Fox and Jason Connell said that with Ghost of Yotei, Sucker Punch wants to “find a balance” to repetitive open-world gameplay, and may also offer story choice. The duo confirmed plans to allow players to master firearms in addition to melee weapons such as katanas.
Wesley is IGN’s UK News Editor. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can contact Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or wyp100@proton.me.