GamesIndustry.biz reports that Hideo Kojima’s Kojima Productions is expanding its focus from videogames like 2019’s enigmatic hit Death Stranding into music, TV, and film. Originally established in 2005 as a Konami subsidiary, the company was reformed as an independent studio after the internal department was disassembled and restructured as a result of a rift between Kojima and Konami during the production of Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes and Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain.
The new pop culture team will be led by former PlayStation Chief Legal Officer and VP of Business Affairs, Riley Russell. “The new division will be tasked with working with creative and talented professionals in television, music and film, as well as the more familiar games industry,” Russell told GamesIndustry.
He went on to say, “The team has as its charter, the goal of expanding the reach and awareness of the properties now under development at Kojima Productions, and to make them even more a part of our popular culture.”
Kojima has long been known for his love of film, and as an auteur who directs every part of the process of his videogames, which are known for their long cutscenes. The aforementioned Death Stranding closely tied Joel Coretliz’s sound design to the work with actors, writers, and directors from across the world, so Kojima Productions has already established some relationships with people familiar with movie making. These including North Americans Norman Reedus, Liam O’Brien, Conan O’Brien, Geoff Keighley and Edgar Wright; Finnish game developer Sam Lake; Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen; Finnish-Norweigian director-producer Tommy Wirkola; and Japanese creatives like Junji Ito and Metal Gear veterans Akio Otsuka, Kikuko Inoue, Nana Mizuki, and Satoshi Mikami. It stands to reason that Kojima is already known and respected by those in an industry he is beginning to push his brand and creative focus into. Parking a new studio division in Los Angeles, focused on other aspects of show business, will give the artist more reach, not that he’s lacking for it presently.
Last year it was reported that Sony is working on a Metal Gear Solid movie starring Oscar Isaac. Maybe that will be the first non-videogame Kojima Production?