Japanese actor Hiroyuki Sanada may star in the movie "Ghost of Tsushima"

According to foreign media reports, Japanese actor Hiroyuki Sanada (Shogun) is in talks to play a role in the live-action movie Ghost of Tsushima.

While it's unclear what role Hiroyuki Sanada will play, many fans feel that he bears a strong resemblance to the in-game character Lord Shimurai, who is the uncle of the protagonist Jin Sakai and ultimately plays a key role in the story.

The reason why Sanada is a possibility for Ghost of Tsushima is that he has worked with director Chad Stahelski before. Specifically, Sanada starred in 2023's John Wick 4, which was his most recent big-screen appearance. Stahelski is in charge of directing the Ghost of Tsushima film, and given how well their previous collaboration went, it makes sense that he might want to work with Sanada again.

This isn't the first time Hiroyuki Sanada has starred in a video game adaptation. He played Scorpion in the 2021 Mortal Kombat movie, while another Japanese actor, Tadanobu Asano, played Raiden. This year, Sanada received acclaim for his role as Yoshii Toranosaga in FX's Shogun. After the success of Shogun, FX renewed the historical drama for two more seasons.