P.T. Anderson "interested" in Metal Gear film adaptation

With Metal Gear Solid 4 out on June 12, Konami has been shopping around for someone good (IE: not Uwe Boll) to direct a film adaptation of the series. Perhaps the most cinematic game series of all time,Metal Gear's surreal, post-modern world seems ripe for the big screen. That's what producer Michael De Luca has been saying for a while, searching for someone to helm the project. It looks like he found someone... maybe.

Previously, De Luca had mentioned that Kurt Wimmer (Equilibrium, Ultraviolet) was working on a screenplay for the games. Given this information, many assumed Wimmer would also be a natural to direct the picture. However, Wimmer's perhaps more noted as a screenwriter than as a director, with credits for The Thomas Crown Affair and Sphere. So if Wimmer isn't tapped for the job, who is?

In a media junket for the new game, Kotaku spoke with Konami's Aki Sato, who's in charge of negotiating Metal Gear's rights, about the film and its possible director. Sato revealed that, "Paul Thomas Anderson is interested." Sounds far-fetched, but De Luca has a longstanding relationship with Anderson, having produced both Boogie Nights and Magnolia.

Obviously, Sato's offhand comment should be taken with about a pound of salt, even with circumstantial evidence pointing to this as a distinct possibility. But still, the idea of Anderson working with Hideo Kojima on this is just too good to ignore.

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