Metal Gear Solid Movie Director Confirms Script Is Finished

The Metal Gear Solid adaptation officially has a script, according to director Jordan Vogt-Roberts. Serving a sequel to the MSX2 video games, Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, Metal Gear Solid is an action-adventure stealth game developed by Konami and released on the PlayStation in 1998. Ever since, Hollywood has been eager to bring the franchise to big screen, with game writer/director/producer, Hideo Kojima, revealing at E3 in 2006 that he had signed a contract to adapt the game into a movie. In 2007, Sony announced they would be involved, bringing Michael De Luca onboard in 2008 to produce.

After a script from former (and somewhat returning) Solid Snake voice-actor, David Hayter, was made for producer Avi Arad, many names were rumored to be attached to the film but nothing came of it. At one stage, Kurt Wimmer, director of Ultraviolet and Equilibrium was in talks to direct and Christian Bale was reported to have expressed interest in the role. Production stalled, however, in 2010, with De Luca citing a lack of coordinated will and video game companies protectiveness over their properties as reasons. The project was eventually revived in 2012, as a collaboration between Kojima Productions and Columbia Pictures, with Avi Arad producing. In 2014, it was revealed that Sony wanted Vogt-Roberts to direct.

Talking to IGN, Vogt-Roberts revealed the the long-awaited adaptation was one step closer in coming to fruition, with a script for the movie having just been turned in. When asked whether Metal Gear Solid was happening and whether he was doing it, the director had this to say:

"Ah, we actually just turned in the script... and I think it's one of the best scripts I've ever read. It's one of the coolest, weirdest, most Kojima things. Even being involved with it, I look at it as someone who was, like, I would make the hell out of this movie. But if I wasn't involved in it, then I would still look at that script and be like holy s***!"

Previously described as "chomping at the bit" to make a Metal Gear Solid movie, Vogt-Roberts has a clear passion for the project will no doubt please fans who have been waiting just as eagerly for this adaptation for 30 years. The fact that such announcements are coming out in the anniversary week of the original games demonstrate that after a decade in development hell, even if just from a marketing standpoint, it may actually be in the right hands and make it to screen this time - and as more than an edited video of a hilariously botched robbery.

Vogt Roberts also revealed how much video games have influenced him and still continue to influence his filmmaking choices. Video game adaptations have, thus far, not fared well in translation, with everything from Mario Bros. to Street Fighter receiving near-universal derision. Although the likes of Resident Evil was successful enough to at least receive multiple sequels, it still failed to reach the heights of success or acclaim of the video games. Vogt-Roberts hasn't expressed any overconfidence in being the one to break the curse, but being a lifelong gamer will surely be an asset towards that ambition, especially when it comes to translating the immersive action of gaming into the traditionally more passive viewing experience of film. It's easy to see why Hideo Kojima offered his blessing.

Offering the likes of Snowpiercer and Edge of Tomorrow as evidence, Vogt-Roberts believes that a video game adaptations can work. Though those two examples aren't game adaptations, elements of them can be tied directly to games. When you add in the likes of Scott Pilgrim vs. The World into the mix, which functioned almost-entirely by video game logic, it's even harder to disagree with his belief. Whether or not Vogt-Roberts can translate that same success to an actual adaptation remains to be seen. There is still a long way to go, with no mention of a production start date or casting. Working from a script from Jay Basu and Derek Connolly, who he collaborated with previously on Kong: Skull Island, however, Vogt-Roberts has definitely offered a lot to keep Metal Gear fans hopeful.

Update: We've corrected a line about earlier versions of the Metal Gear Solid movie screenplay.