Chad Stahelski's Ghost of Tsushima screen adaptation has probably gotten its first actor - and it's Hiroyuki Sanada from the Shogun series

PlayStation has announced a film adaptation of Ghost of Tsushima in 2021, stating that the film will be directed by Chad Stahelski, the director of the "John Wick" franchise.

Since then, there have been no major announcements related to the project until today, when it was revealed (via insider Daniel Richtman) that Hiroyuki Sanada from the series "Shogun" is in talks for one of the main roles in the Ghost of Tsushima adaptation.

It is currently unknown which character Sanada will play, but fans speculate that one of the potential options is Lord Shimura, the uncle of the main character Jin Sakai, who will play a key role in the story. Hiroyuki Sanada has previously worked with Chad Stahelski on the film "John Wick 4" in 2023 - and, given the successful collaboration, the rumors may be well-founded.

In the near future, Sanada is set to reprise his role as Scorpion in the film Mortal Kombat 2, scheduled to be released in theaters in 2025. That same year, the actor received wide acclaim for his role as Yoshinaka Toranaga in the FX series "Shogun," which has just been renewed for two more seasons.

As for the Ghost of Tsushima adaptation, PlayStation Productions has not yet provided any potential release dates. In November of last year, Stahelski stated that the script for the film is written and the team is "ready to go", and previously noted that the adaptation will feature a Japanese cast and be in Japanese, expressing hope that it will surpass the visual effects of the original game.

It is expected that a sequel to the game is also in development. Ghost of Tsushima debuted in 2020 as a PS4 exclusive, and just two weeks ago was finally released on PC - the game became the most popular single-player game on PS in Steam with a peak of 77,000 online players.

Ghost of Tsushima is an open-world action-adventure game set in 1274, during the first Mongol invasion of Japan, when the island of Tsushima was captured and destroyed by the Mongol Empire. The main character is a Japanese samurai named Jin Sakai, who battles the superior Mongol forces by relying on old samurai traditions and unique fighting methods. Players can freely explore the island and investigate various locations.