In 2015, the creator of Metal Gear Solid, Hideo Kojima, launched Kojima Productions before releasing his first post-Konami game, Death Stranding, in 2019. Since the game featured a prominent cast including Norman Reedus, Mads Mikkelsen, Léa Seydoux, Margaret Qualley, Troy Baker, and Lindsey Wagner, it was widely assumed that a Death Stranding movie would follow. But despite Death Stranding’s feature adaptation landing with A24, Kojima has no intention of directing the film because he’s too busy making games.
“Those works are my babies, and I love movies, so I want it to be something that movie fans will really enjoy,” Kojima told Variety. “I’ll supervise the plot and help them make it, but I won’t direct it. I can’t right now with three on-going projects! I’ll help by communicating with a director I really trust… There are several Death Stranding adaptation projects currently underway, but there is a different story I’ve written that’s intended for a movie. But I don’t have the time to direct it, so I won’t.”
Kojima is collaborating with Jordan Peele on the upcoming game OD, but he seemed to rule out working with the director on the Death Stranding movie because he would rather work on a new property with him.
“It’s not only Jordan, but I have a close relationship with directors like Guillermo del Toro, Nicolas Winding Refn, and George Miller–who appear in Death Stranding–and we always talk about doing something together,” added Kojima. “Right now, movies and games are two different branches, but pretty soon, it will be very similar. So, it’s not about making a video game out of Nope or having Jordan adapt Death Stranding into a film. It’s about making something new together.”
Kojima also indicated that his goal is to bring Kojima Productions into a new phase where it can branch out beyond games. And he’s eager to work with “talented people from around the world” on those projects.
“It could be a movie, a game, or something else entirely,” explained Kojima. “I can’t die until then! I don’t think I’m trying to do anything too out of the ordinary!”
