Draft:Metal Gear Solid (film)

Metal Gear Solid is an upcoming American action spy thriller film directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts and written by Derek Connolly, from a story by Connolly and Vogt-Roberts. It is based on the Metal Gear video game franchise created by Hideo Kojima and published by Konami, with the title being derived from the 1998 game.

Metal Gear Solid will be produced by Columbia Pictures, Michael De Luca Productions, and Arad Productions, while being set for distribution by Sony Pictures Releasing.

Development
In May 2006, Metal Gear series creator Hideo Kojima announced that a film adaptation of the video game, Metal Gear Solid (1998), was in development. The film was purported to be in English, said to be released sometime in 2011. Kojima also announced at the Electronic Entertainment Expo later that month that he had negotiated a contract with a party in Hollywood to adapt the video game into a film. Kojima once said that he would like to see Hugh Jackman as Solid Snake but he is also open to other up-and-coming actors to the role. Kojima also considered Alaska as the site of the film production, due to the game's setting in the state. Screenwriter David Hayter, who also serves as the English voice actor for Snake in the games, had submitted his take for the movie but executives have passed on his script. Kojima also denied claims that director Uwe Boll was a possible contender to direct the film. Filmmaker Quentin Tarantino expressed interest in having director Kurt Wimmer write the script for the movie. Wimmer was also considered as potential director for the film. Konami's Aki Saito had commented that director Paul Thomas Anderson was interested, but producer Mike de Luca dismissed the claim. Christian Bale denied rumors that he was approached for the role of Snake in the film. However, on January 11, 2010, de Luca confirmed that work on a Metal Gear film adaptation was postponed indefinitely, stating that Konami expressed concern that the entire franchise could be seriously affected if a movie version performed poorly. In March 2012, during The Art of Video Games exhibit at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Kojima stated, "Honestly, I'm a movie fan and that's very special to me. I honestly would love to make a movie someday, but that said, I think it has to be a certain special game that has to provide that right setting. But I don't think that game will be Metal Gear Solid. Metal Gear Solid was developed specifically to become a game. ...If it were to be made into a movie it would have to be something completely new. I wouldn't use my current scripts. I think I'd have to get somebody to get a new script and somebody else to direct it as a movie." At the "Metal Gear 25th Anniversary" on August 30, 2012, Hideo Kojima announced that Arad Productions, owned by Arad brothers Avi and Ari, have agreed to produce a movie version of Metal Gear Solid with Columbia Pictures. Columbia's parent company, Sony Pictures Entertainment, will be in charge of distribution. On June 3, 2014, Deadline Hollywood reported that Sony was eyeing Jordan Vogt-Roberts to direct the film. On March 30, 2015, Sony announced that Jay Basu would write the screenplay. In February 2017, Vogt-Roberts said the filmmakers are working on the film's script with Kojima and making it either an R or PG-13 rating. In November 2017, Variety reported that Derek Connolly had been tapped to write the screenplay.

In July 2018, Vogt-Roberts announced that the film's screenplay had been completed. In August 2018, Vogt-Roberts stated that he wished for the film to receive an R rating, stating, "It's about doing it for a price so you can make the riskier, balls-to-the-wall, Kojima-san version of it. There are Star Wars movies to talk about, there's all sorts of stuff to talk about. To me, this is that. This is a new frontier not only for me as a filmmaker but I just feel like for audiences. To me, it's a way to make the first great video game movie where it doesn't matter that it's based on a video game". Oscar Isaac had expressed interest in the role of Solid Snake. In December 2019, Vogt-Roberts announced that a new draft was turned in, revealing he shares a story-credit with Connolly. In December 2020, Isaac was officially attached to the project to play Snake. In March 2022, Isaac gave an update about the film, saying "we're looking for the story," while in October he expressed hope the film would come into fruition in the near future. By February 2024, Isaac was stated to be no longer attached to the project.