John Wick Director’s Upcoming Video Game Movie Adaptation Is The Perfect Shogun Replacement

Summary

• A film adaptation of the hit video game
  Ghost of Tsushima
  is in development.
• Ghost of Tsushima
  will be directed by
  John Wick’s
  Chad Stahelski, offering a more action-packed samurai story.
• Shogun
  and
  Ghost of Tsushima
  take place 200 years apart, but tell equally important stories.

FX’s Shōgun has been one of 2024’s most critically acclaimed dramas, and there’s an exciting upcoming video game movie adaptation that could be the perfect follow-up. Despite some of the best samurai movies of all time being revered classics, Japanese historical fiction and samurai films are far less common in modern cinema. That’s part of why Shōgun has been such a treat, offering modern, high-production value historical television with an excellent narrative to appeal to broader audiences.

Shōgun
is currently streaming on Hulu.

Given how uncommon great historical TV shows like Shogun are, specifically those set in feudal Japan, there aren’t many modern follow-ups that capture the same atmosphere. The Last Samurai is a decent option, but it doesn’t quite have the same narrative value or dedication to the historical period. However, there’s a promising film project underway from John Wick director Chad Stahelski that could compare. The filmmaker is currently developing a movie adaptation of Ghost of Tsushimaan acclaimed video game from 2020.

Ghost Of Tsushima Will Be A Samurai Action Movie Set In 13th Century Japan

Ghost Of Tsushima Will Be Directed By John Wick’s Chad Stahelski

Ghost of Tsushima is one of the most revered video games in recent years, praised for its massively entertaining combat system and engaging narrative. The game is centered around a samurai warrior who sets out to protect the island of Tsushima during a Mongol invasion. Like Shogunthe game centers around fascinating familial dynamics and Japan’s history with foreign nations. The game also explores the concept of a samurai’s code of honor, which is briefly touched on through characters like Toda in Shogun.

Like
S
hogun
the game centers around fascinating familial dynamics and Japan’s history with foreign nations.

As of November 2023, John Wick director Chad Stahelski confirmed the Ghost of Tsushima movie is in development and that the script is complete. This is promising news, and with other video game adaptations finding recent success, it could continue a positive trend. Given Chad Stahelski’s repertoire, Ghost of Tsushima will likely lean more into samurai action than Shogunbut it will hopefully embrace the game’s complex narrative and characters and lean into the fascinating history of the 1200s in Japan and the Mongol invasions.

Shogun & Ghost Of Tsushima’s Historical Time Period Differences Explained

Shogun & Ghosts Of Tsushima Have 200 Years Between Them

Shogun is set at the end of the Sengoku Period, marking the turning point and leading into the Edo period, at roughly 1600. Ghost of Tsushima is set in the 1200s during the Kamakura period, so it will depict an earlier era. Around this time, the Mongols had conquered China and sought after Japan as their next target, with 1274 being the year of their first invasion. Ghost of Tsushima and Shogun have some significant differences, but both depict vital conflicts in Japan’s history, leading to permanent changes for the nation.