Hideo Kojima's "Death Stranding Isolations" Animated Series Heads to Disney+ in 2027
If you ever felt oddly moved hauling cargo across a broken America, you're getting more of that quiet, haunted feeling in 2027. Hideo Kojima (movies and tv series) is executive producing a new animated series, Death Stranding Isolations (working title), coming to Disney+ with a brand-new story set in the game's universe.
It's not a retelling. It's a separate tale that plays in the same sandbox - same eerie mood, new faces. Production is underway.
What's actually happening
Kojima took the stage alongside series director Takayuki Sano at the Disney+ Originals Preview at Hong Kong Disneyland Resort to share the news. For the franchise, this marks a first: a partnership with a global streaming platform.
The series will use traditional, hand-drawn 2D animation handled by Japan's E&H Production, the studio founded by former MAPPA director and animator Sunghoo Park. Fresh concept art is coming from Ilya Kuvshinov (movies and tv series), known for work on Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045.
The story, in plain terms
The synopsis leans into classic Death Stranding vibes. It nods to the line fans know - "Once, there was an explosion…" - and pulls us back into a world where the dead reach for the living and that contact can erase everything in an instant. People survive, but they're cut off, holed up, and scared to connect.
While Sam Bridges walks across North America to reconnect what's left of society, another thread unfolds: a young man and woman set out on their own path. Around them orbit four figures - an old man (movies and tv series) seeking salvation outside Bridges' plan, a fighter who wants endless conflict, a boy with a grudge against Bridges, and a girl who accepts loneliness. Their hopes collide as another Death Stranding story begins. And yes, it ends on a familiar drumbeat: another explosion.
Why this matters for animation and TV folks
- A-list creator, mainstream streamer: Kojima partnering with Disney+ signals confidence in game-origin IP anchoring premium animation.
- 2D, not CG: Hand-drawn animation from E&H suggests a textured, character-first look that stands apart from glossy sci-fi CG trends.
- Fresh narrative runway: A standalone story lets new viewers jump in without homework, while giving longtime fans something that isn't boxed in by game canon.
- Timing: A 2027 window gives Disney+ room to build a marketing runway and align with the continued momentum from Death Stranding 2: On the Beach on PlayStation 5.
Quick context
The original Death Stranding launched in 2019 and has drawn more than 20 million players worldwide. This summer's sequel, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, arrived exclusively on PlayStation 5, keeping the conversation around the universe very alive.
No casting or episode details yet. We'll be watching for format (half-hour vs. hour), series length, and whether the show leans into anthology elements - the synopsis hints at interwoven character arcs that could flex either way.
The bottom line
This is Kojima doing what Kojima does: building mood-heavy worlds where connection is hard and hope is fragile. Putting that on Disney+ means a bigger stage and, potentially, a broader audience than the games have reached on their own.
If you work in animation or programming, keep an eye on how Disney+ positions this - as anime, adult animation, or simply "original series." Labels matter for discovery. So does that 2D choice. It tells us the team wants emotion and texture front and center.
Source: Disney+
