Hideo Kojima and Kojima Productions have established a new business division intended to work in music, television and film (thank you, GI.biz). The studio will be in Los Angeles and is intended to take the studio’s games (or games at this point: Death Stranding) into these fields.
For longtime Kojima fans, there will almost be a sense of wonder that it took him so long. Kojima has a history of being obsessed with cinema and movies in his games, and his bio is “Game Creator: 70% of my body is made of movies.” With things like Metal Gear Solid 4, Kojima’s team produced heaps of TV footage from the fictional environment, and narratively, he has written everything from visual novels to interactive comics.
The new studio will be led by PlayStation veteran Riley Russell, who told GI.biz: “The new division will be tasked with working with creative and talented professionals in television, music and film, as well as the more well-known gaming industry.”
“As a charter, the team aims to expand 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 not commented yet, but instead focuses on the important things in life like Mads Mikkelson’s birthday and retweet people praising Death Stranding’s “introspective genius.” Last week, however, he shared several photos of new studio ‘experiments’ that look like they were teasing for today’s news.
We are still experimenting within Kojima Productions. pic.twitter.com/EjkqnOz6dsNovember 18, 2021
“Finding new ways to entertain, engage and offer value to our fans is essential in a fast-moving, ever-changing world of storytelling,” Kojima Productions’ Yoshiko Fukuda told GI.biz. “Our new division will take the studio into even more areas, presenting our creative narratives beyond video games and to open up ways for our fans to communicate and immerse themselves in these spaces.”
So … Death Stranding: The Series? I would not be surprised at all, especially given Kojima’s increased focus on the actors involved in his recent play. He has worked with people like Guillermo del Toro on game projects, is generally a bit of a star fan, and the establishment of this studio feels in one way like a wish come true. Either way, if I’m going to see an actor say the name Die Hardman with an upright face, I’m in it.
