Hideo Kojima's much-anticipated spiritual successor to Metal Gear, Physint, is still a distant dream, with the visionary game designer estimating a release timeline of "another five or six years." This revelation came directly from Kojima in a recent interview with Le Film Francais, where he also touched on his long-standing desire to direct a movie.
Since his high-profile departure from Konami in 2015, Kojima has been inundated with offers to develop games for his independent studio. "I've had so many offers since I left Konami, with serious conditions to develop games in my independent studio," he explained, as translated by ResetEra member Red Kong XIX. Alongside Death Stranding 2, Physint is a key focus for Kojima Productions. "Besides Death Stranding 2, there's also Physint in development. That will take me another five or six years," he added.
Kojima's cinematic ambitions remain on the back burner until these gaming projects are completed. "But maybe after that, I could finally decide to take on a film," he mused. "I grew up with cinema. Directing would be, in a way, a tribute to it. Also, I'm getting older, and I'd prefer to do it while I'm still young!"
Physint was first announced by PlayStation Studios boss Herman Hulst in January 2024, but details have been scarce since then. Initially, Kojima hinted that Physint might also be a movie, but he later clarified on X/Twitter that the project's "look, story, theme, cast, acting, fashion, sound, etc… are all at the next level of ‘Digital Entertainment’ that could be called a ‘movie.’"
Kojima Productions is juggling multiple projects, including Death Stranding 2 and OD, a new IP developed in collaboration with Xbox Game Studios, featuring actress Hunter Schafer and filmmaker Jordan Peele. Additionally, Kojima is involved in A24's film adaptation of the original Death Stranding.
Death Stranding 2: On The Beach is slated for release next month on June 26. The franchise's star, actor Norman Reedus, recently hinted in an interview with IGN that he would reprise his role in the upcoming film adaptation, stating, "of course" he would play himself in the movie.
In a fascinating twist, Kojima recently disclosed a collection of discarded game ideas, including a concept for a ‘Forgetting Game’ where the protagonist gradually loses important information and abilities if the player takes too long a break. He also revealed that he has left his staff a USB stick filled with game ideas to be explored after his passing.