Kena: Bridge of Spirits

Kena: Bridge of Spirits is a 2025 action fantasy film based on the 2021 video game of the same name. Directed by Joseph Kosinski from a screenplay by John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein, it stars Tania Gunadi as the titular character, who is a spirit guide, and helps deceased people move to the spirit world. Liev Schreiber, Gerard Butler (who also co-produced the film), Timothée Chalamet, Zoë Kravitz, Zazie Beetz, and Stephen McKinley Henderson star in supporting roles.
In April 2022, discussions of a feature film based on the game emerged, with Butler and Alan Siegel in talks of producing said film. Initially, Neill Blomkamp was attached to direct, but soon left to work on Gran Turismo, with Joseph Kosinski taking his place, though Blomkamp would still be attached as an executive producer. TriStar Pictures soon acquired co-production rights in July of that year.
Kena: Bridge of Spirits premiered in Tokyo, Japan on February 6, 2025 before it was released theatrically in the United States by Sony Pictures Releasing on February 14, 2025. The film received generally positive reviews from critics and grossed $349.5 million worldwide. It became the eighth highest-grossing film based on a video game and surpassed Werewolves Within as the highest-rated film based on a video game by critic scores.
==Premise ==
"Kena (Tania Gunadi) is a young spirit guide who is in charge of helping deceased people move from the physical to the spirit world. In search of a sacred mountain shrine hidden by a dark overlord, she must navigate through the dangers of the natural world with her magical staff. Follow her adventure in this action-packed movie based on the critically-acclaimed video game."
-Sony Pictures
==Plot==
===Part I: Taro===
===Part II: Adira===
=== Part III: Toshi===
==Cast==
*Tania Gunadi as Kena, a spirit guide who has the ability to transfer the deceased to the spirit world and back.
**Jaime Lee as young Kena.
*Liev Schreiber as Toshi, a powerful masked spirit.
* Gerard Butler as Rusu, a huntsman.
*Timothée Chalamet as Taro, a restless spirit and the older brother of Saiya and Beni.
*Zoë Kravitz as Adira, the former village Woodsmith.
*Zazie Beetz as Hana, Adira's partner.
*Stephen McKinley Henderson as Zajuro, a village elder.
*Sam Cavallaro as Saiya.
*Joshua Vincent as Beni.
* Dee Bradley Baker as the Rot vocals.
==Production==
===Development ===
After the game's release in September 2021, Ember Lab founders Mike and Josh Grier were asked if a feature film based on the game was in development, to which they replied: "No, we do not have plans for such. But it would be cool to think about." Later, in April 2022, discussions were made between the Griers, Gerard Butler, and Alan Siegel to create a feature-length film based on Kena: Bridge of Spirits. The film, however, was still looking for a screenwriter to write the film's screenplay. Neill Blomkamp was also in talks to direct the film. Blomkamp later left the film in May to work on Gran Turismo, another film based on a video game, with Joseph Kosinski replacing him. Blomkamp would still serve as executive producer, however.
In June 2022, filmmaking duo John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein were in talks to write the film's script. A month later, it was announced at San Diego Comic-Con that TriStar Pictures had acquired the film rights to the game, and set the release date for October 11, 2024. Gabe Frost was also attached as producer.
===Casting===
Tania Gunadi was cast as the film's titular character on August 9, 2022. In October 3, Gerard Butler and Zoë Kravitz joined the cast. Timothée Chalamet, Zazie Beetz, and Liev Schreiber were cast in January 2023. Stephen McKinley Henderson was the last supporting cast member to join on February 26, 2023.
Originally, John Krasinski was offered the role of Rusu, but turned it down. Halle Berry was also offered the role of Hana. The two, however, were instead given special thanks in the end credits.
=== Filming===
Filming began in May 2023. Principal photography took place in Iceland and Indonesia, and select scenes were filmed in Canada. Filming was completed in October of the same year. 
===Visual effects===
The visual effects were provided by Ember Lab, who served as the developer of the original game, along with Framestore. Ember Lab also provided the animation of the end credits sequence. 
=== Music ===
Main article: Kena: Bridge of Spirits/Soundtrack
Trevor Morris was announced to compose the film's score on July 7, 2024. The soundtrack was released by Sony Classical on February 14, 2025, the same day as the film's theatrical release.
Songs featured in the film include "Riki Tiki Tavi" by Donovan and "Spirit in the Sky" by Norman Greenbaum. "Mountain Shrine" and "Befriending Spirits", which were tracks from the original game, are featured in the end crawl. 
==Marketing and release==
Sony Pictures Releasing handled all marketing worldwide, spending $22 million on television spots. Certain advertising partners included Coca-Cola, G Fuel, T-Mobile, and Vaio. A trailer for the Super Bowl LIX also aired.
A teaser trailer for the film was released at San Diego Comic-Con 2024. The first official trailer for the film was released on September 17, 2024. The trailer garnered over 5 million views upon the first 24 hours.
===Theatrical===
Kena: Bridge of Spirits was released in the United States on February 14, 2025 in IMAX, Dolby Cinema, 4DX, and RealD 3D formats. It was originally scheduled for release on October 11, 2024, but was delayed to January 17, 2025. It was then delayed to its initial release date.
===Home media===
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment released the film on digital on April 22, 2025, and then on Ultra HD Blu-Ray, Blu-Ray, and DVD formats on May 13, 2025. The film was released on Netflix on August 1, 2025.
===Kena: Bridge of Spirits "Movie Update"===
To promote the film's release, the original Kena: Bridge of Spirits game received a content update that included five movie-themed Rot hats and an exclusive Kena outfit.
==Reception==
===Box office===
In the United States and Canada, the film grossed $183.2 million, while internationally, it grossed $166.3 million, for a worldwide total gross of $349.5 million.
===Critical reception===
Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 91% based on 244 reviews, with an average rating of 7.85/10. The site's critical consensus reads: "Fun and relatively well-put, Kena: Bridge of Spirits does a faithful and visually stunning adaptation that proves the magic of video game movies." Metacritic has a weighted average of 79 out of 100, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Audiences surveyed on CinemaScore gave the film a rare grade of "A+" on an "A+ to F" scale, while those on PostTrak gave it an 84% positive score, with 72% saying they'd recommend it.
== Related media ==
Main article: Kena: Beyond the Horizon
In 2024, a sequel series titled Kena: Beyond the Horizon was announced. It was released on Netflix on January 29, 2026.
==Credits==
Main article: Kena: Bridge of Spirits/Credits
==Trailer transcripts==
Main article: Kena: Bridge of Spirits/Trailer transcripts
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