Hollywood, get ready for Hideo Kojima.
The Death Stranding and Metal Gear creator sat down for a wide-ranging interview with Variety, published today, in which he talked about about the next steps of his career — and revealed a more direct tie to Hollywood. Kojima has signed with talent agency WME, which the publication describes as his "his liaison in the world of TV and film."
He also went into detail about the future of Kojima Productions, breaking down his plan into three phases. The first phase, Kojima said, was all about Death Stranding and establishing it "within the games category and expand on global platforms, like Apple and PC and Sony." "This part is not necessarily difficult," he added.
Part of that, of course, is the upcoming Death Stranding sequel, which is set to release sometime next year. But the second phase, Kojima revealed, involves "different forms of media: movies, anime, TV dramas, etc."
"Basically, expanding the game IP to other media," he continued. "That’s the second phase. That’s what we’re aiming for next. I created Kojima Productions under the scope of 'digital entertainment,' but I don’t think it necessarily has to be a video game. We could create a new IP from a game, or an anime, or a film, or something totally different. Anything is possible, and that’s the third phase."
That third phase certainly sounds a little more vague, but Kojima added that he "would like to work with talented people from around the world and create something new, with 'digital' being the keyword."
"It could be a movie, a game, or something else entirely," he continued. "I can’t die until then! I don’t think I’m trying to do anything too out of the ordinary!"
Variety also asked for an update on the Death Stranding movie, which was announced late last year with A24 and Kojima Productions, but Kojima didn't reveal too much. He did confirm, however, that he won't be directing it himself, although he will "supervise the plot and help them make it."
As for who might direct it, Jordan Peele seems like an obvious candidate, given his and Kojima's partnership on the mysterious upcoming game OD. But Kojima pointed out that he has close relationships with other big filmmakers as well, including Guillermo del Toro, Nicolas Winding Refn, and George Miller, "and we always talk about doing something together."
"Right now, movies and games are two different branches, but pretty soon, it will be very similar," he continued. "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."
He also revealed that 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. Which is kind of like a test for the third phase."
Regardless, it looks like there's a lot more entertainment to come from Kojima in the future — whether it's in video games, the big screen, or anywhere in between.
Thumbnail credit: John Phillips/Getty Images for Warner Bros. Pictures
Alex Stedman is a Senior News Editor with IGN, overseeing entertainment reporting. When she's not writing or editing, you can find her reading fantasy novels or playing Dungeons & Dragons.
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