Death Stranding Isolations: Kojima Productions is bringing a hand-drawn series to Disney+ in 2027
If the loneliness at the heart of Death Stranding stuck with you, here's something to circle on your calendar. Kojima Productions is making a new animated series for Disney+, and it's set for 2027.
It's called Death Stranding Isolations (working title), and it's separate from the animated film already in the works. Different project, different vibe. Same universe of fragile connections and quiet, creeping tension.
A hand-drawn story set alongside Sam Bridges
The series is going classic: traditional, hand-drawn 2D animation. It tells a new story about a young man and woman - both still unnamed - moving through a North America that feels familiar to Death Stranding fans but not identical.
The synopsis places their journey parallel to Sam Bridges' cross-country trek. And it sketches out a few figures circling their lives: an old man (movies and tv series) searching for salvation outside Sam's idea of connection, a female warrior who wants to restart constant conflict, a boy holding a grudge, a girl who leans into loneliness. On the brink of humanity's end, their paths collide. As the pitch puts it: "And now, comes another explosion."
Who's making it
Hideo Kojima (movies and tv series) is executive producing. The director is Takayuki Sano (Attack on Titan: The Final Season, Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods, Jujutsu Kaisen 0), which tells you the action and mood are in steady hands. Character designs come from Ilya Kuvshinov (movies and tv series), known for Ghost in the Shell: SAC 2045.
For anyone tracking the studio's slate, you can keep tabs on the team's broader work at Kojima Productions. And yes, Disney+ is the home for this one - which says a lot about where the platform is heading with adult animation. More on that in a second. You can find the service here: Disney+.
How it fits with the other Death Stranding projects
This series is not the same as the animated movie Kojima Productions already announced. That film, Death Stranding: Mosquito, is led by writer Aaron Guzikowski (Raised by Wolves, Prisoners), directed by Hiroshi Miyamoto (movies and tv series), and animated by ABC Animation Studio.
There's also a separate live-action film in the works at A24, with Michael Sarnoski (movies and tv series) (A Quiet Place: Day One) at the helm. Kojima's been clear on what he wants from that partnership: "The other film companies that had approached me had mostly offered to make it with a big budget and lots of explosions, but I didn't want that. I want to make a slightly different kind of film with A24."
Why this matters (and what to watch for)
- Disney+ continues to lean into adult-oriented animation from high-profile game IP. That's a signal to streamers and studios: game universes are becoming long-term content ecosystems, not one-offs.
- The hand-drawn choice is a statement. It suggests character-first storytelling, mood over spectacle - closer to a graphic novel you can hear breathing.
- Isolations adds a side-door into Death Stranding's themes - connection vs. solitude - without retreading Sam's exact path. Fresh entry point for newcomers, deeper texture for fans.
Here's what this could mean: by 2027, we're likely looking at a coordinated push - animated series, animated film, and a live-action project - each exploring different corners of the same bleak, oddly hopeful world. If you cover film, TV, or animation, this is one to track for talent crossovers, tone management across formats, and how far a streaming platform will go to back a quietly intense, character-driven sci-fi story.
For now, the headline is simple. A new Death Stranding story is coming, it's hand-drawn, and it's headed to Disney+. The two leads don't have names yet, but the mood is already set: isolation, connection, and the cost of trying to rebuild something that broke once already.
