Kotaku
Hollywood producer Michael De Luca has produced lots of good movies. Take Boogie Nights or Wag the Dog, for example. He's also produced lots of bad movies, like Little Nicky or Ghost Rider. He latest project? Bringing Metal Gear Solid to the screen. No easy task! No doubt fans of the cinematic game franchise have high expectations. And with the way Hollywood bungles game adaptations, the pressure is on. So, how does De Luca feel about this whole Metal Gear Solid movie dealio?
...there's so much story in Metal Gear as opposed to other video games that I think it's going to be a challenge but it's an upscale problem to have some much thematic subtexts and story material to draw from so I think we have a leg up already in that it's such a rich universe and Kojima is like George Lucas in terms of creating this universe so what it says about war by proxy in this kind of future where war has been outsourced to private companies I think can be almost very topical and also kind of satirical in like a Robocop kind of way, so I think if we can get a script that honors the storyline of all 4 games, but that also has a cinematic aesthetic you know the kind of aesthetic Verhoeven brought to Robocop or the kind of aesthetic the Wachowski's brought to The Matrix. If there's a cinematic identity to the piece that exists on its own, it doesn't conflict with the DNA of the game, you know that's our goal is to pull off those 2 things. Not mess with the DNA of the game but provide a movie that is an adaptation but that has it's own cinematic identity so even if you don't play the game you know, you'll come out of that movie feeling like you did at the end of The Matrix or the end of Robocop. That's our goal anyway.Allow us to add a third goal for De Luca and coompany: DON'T MAKE IT SUCK. De Luca Interview [Collider Thanks, Steve!] [Pic]
Comments
He's also produced lots of bad movies, like Little Nicky
Does not compute.
This man speaks of Metal Gear with respect. I have faith.
so the fact i was entertained by Little Nicky and Ghost rider doest come into effect here? but yes don't make it suck is a good goal.
I really hope the MGS movie turns out. I'd honestly rather they didn't even touch it movie wise if its just going to blow.
It needs to be good or it doesn't need to exist. End of discussion.
I hope to God that Kojima is involved to some degree.
And can anyone else smell bullshit in this guy's speech; "cinematic identity"?
Yeah setting goals like trying to be as good as those to movies kinda makes me cry :'(
How dare you say Ghost Rider is bad.
I thought it was one of the funniest movies of the year.
@SolDieR:
Yeah, I'm calling shenanigans on Bashcraft for that. Little Nicky is awesome. Any movie that glorifies Pop-Eyes chicken will forever be good.
Sounds like he'd rather be making a Robocop remake.
I fear they'll fuck the plot up totally to make it Hollywood & Cinema capable. Similar to Hitman. The Agency turning on its best agent? SERIOUSLY? (Other than that Hitman was alright IMHO).
So, what to expect in the MGS movie. Maybe Snake saving the world from crazy Russian who use cyber-terrorism in an attempt to gain ultimate control over the USA. Then, Snake marries Meryl and they have two children. The end.
@Buttah:
I'm a terribly picky eater, but PopEye's has some delicious fries.
Yes, that's all I eat there.
"a storyline that honors the storyline of all 4 games", Sequels confirmed?
I'm one of the biggest metal gear fans around, but this dude does not fill me with confidence. What I want to hear is that hes played all of the games to completion and wont let this movie be a steaming pile.
@Buttah:
*sigh*
Gets coat and leaves.
I like how there's only three sentences in that entire quote. The first is an incredibly long run-on sentence, and the last one doesn't even count.
I'm expecting this movie to be awful. Just like Ghost Rider.
hey, for a producer thats not a bad quote right there. Sounds like he knows what hes doing and realizes that a movie based on a game needs to do its own thing to be successful in a different medium. Who knows, maybe they'll strike that balance between being faithful to the source and creating something that works as a movie.
@Candlejack: As long as the movie features a gear in some form and a codec sequence, I'll be satisfied.
Very easy to please,
Cappy
Just hearing the name of the movie "Ghost Rider" makes me cringe.
Just to mention, that pic up there is a little Maximum Risky..with the protruding nipple...?
So basically he saw some screens of some of the Metal Gears and immediately thought of RoboCop.
Not Promising.
Where'd the periods go?
Sweet Jesus, that is the longest run-on sentence I've ever seen in my life!
@Cappy: Michael De Luca: "Codec? What's a Codec? WE HAVE GUNS LOL!"
:P
@kanashimaru: There's a nipple?
@crummer: I completely agree with you. I am afraid, that the movie will put the game to shame. I don't know why Kojima himself couldn't direct it. In which case, GODDAYUM! I would love to see that. The problem with movie adaptations, is that they have a wider audience to cater to, as opposed to the small die hard fans or else the movie won't be financially successful.
@Cchrist: It's not a fleshy nipple, but it's under the yellow cloth. Just look at her bewbie.
@NexusSIX: Yeah just like advent children. OH WAIT!
hehe... nipple...
As long as he's not trying to do all four games, compressed into one movie it should be fine.
One game = One movie
I would actually have more confidence in these guys making the movie:
+ Watch video
Talking purely about the cinematics of the games, they're all very well acted and impressively directed that I feel a movie is quite unnecessary. Further more, I think it'd be a big challenge to cram that many game hours into a 2 or even a 3 hour long film, and I feel it will suffer because of it. As the Producer has already said, there's so much content, characters and story that a film would have to have many set pieces and characters cut that will no doubt disappoint viewers that have experienced the game.
Then again, I'm talking purely from a gamer point of view. I've played the games, enjoyed the stories, I was completely satisfied. I'd rather it remains on the medium it has originated from.
I doubt I'll be seeing the film and I'm not even sure if many fans of the series will want to either, unless you're really really into your Metal Gear stuff.
@NexusSIX: That was awesome. Awesome sauce even, all over it. Thanks for the link :)
I couldn't read that. More punctuation please!
@RSTStop780: Fuck that.
1 game = 5 movies
No. Seriously, there's too much in there for just one movie.
They really shouldn't do this.
@crummer: There should be no more posts after that one....that was thread endingly good.
@Candlejack: you're welcome. :)
Well, he talks like he knows what it needs to make a good Metal gear Flick. Passing that MG identity to the screen is necessary so we can relate to the game. Of course, that is not all its needed. Good story line, good photography, a REALY GOOD METAL GEAR :P, avoiding other movies clichés (please, avoid too much bullet time effects, that will relate to Matrix!), etc. But since Kojima will be involved in some way i guess we can see a good adaptation.
Video Games that have a big identity and back story are more suitable to a successful adaptation. The short films made for Halo were a good showcase of what would a Halo movie look like. The same happens with books. Take the example of The Lord of the Rings for example.
But yeah, we still need to rely on the work of a director, so anything can happen...lets just hope for the best!
@anthonymh: That's what I came here to say!
They´ll never make a good movie out of that reat game. No way! I guess they just **ck it up like always. That´s the way hollywood works. People who don´t even know this game will decide how this movie will be. That truly makes me sad :(
@crummer: More like "incoherent, overstuffed plot" confirmed.
doesn't make sense. David Hayter should have the honors of creating the masterpiece known as the Metal Gear Solid Movie. Directed by James Cameron, starring Kurt Russell (as old snake). I can't imagine anyone actually embodying Solid Snake other than the original Snake Pliskin from Escape from New York as it was intended. But, hopefully Hideo will think of something.
Peter Facinelli as Snake.
Vincent Kartheiser as Raiden.
@Cchrist: Really? To much for one movie? Snake lands on Shadow Moses island, fights boss, learns the president is his brother, fights boss, meets up with Meryl, fights boss, disarms bomb, fights boss, fights his clone, credits roll.
@crummer: That image is very powerful.
Seriously, why not have Kojima direct it. He would be more than qualified, what with his games having such lengthy and detailed cut scenes.
@SolDieR:
/agreed i own it on dvd even >.>;;;;;;
one of my favorite adam sandler movies evar.
@cheeses: Yeah if you're going for a very fast paced action movie withouth a character introduction. Because we all know metal gears weak point was its storyline.
@demonknightinuyasha: Little Nicky was alright, had a great soundtrack for it's time.
As long as this guy is talking about the 1st Matrix and not any of it's sequels he may be on the right track. A leak of the script would put me at ease though.
So from the quote he's talking about a guns of the patriots film? Because I'd hate to see a metal gear film where Raiden was the main character...
oh no you didn't speak badly of Little Nicky!
@ChrisLionheart: You make perfect sense.
Hayter doing the script would be logical - and awesome. :D
@RandolphCarter: Never mind. I'm an idiot...
Although I can't see anything more awesome if David Hayter was given the lead role.
@Everyone lamenting over Robocop comparisons
The original, first Robocop movie is an absolute classic. It's a shame that Orion pictures tried to milk that cash cow for all its worth and turned what could have been an amazing one off movie and made the character an absolute scifi cliche joke with no respect to the original.
Officer Alex Murphy was in immense confusion in that robot body, discovering who he was and his past life and the conspiracy by Dick Jones of OCP to make things go his way and hiring those cop killers, the privatisation of the police force and so much more stuff. When you try and empathise with the character it's really affecting.
Imagine if the Robocop movie was never made, and some company created a game that was the exact same story, just placing you in the Robotic character from the start with little backstory provided and you discovered everything from a first person perspective like the movie Robocop I imagine if it was pulled off right people would have lost their collective 'shit' over it.
The pitchblack humour in those fake 'adverts' in the movie was great too.
With the semi-serious self referential tone of the MGS games maybe Paul Verhoeven would be a great choice to direct?
Does he still make movies? With his growing up in Poland during WWII where he saw 'bodies on the streets during the oppression' regularly I'm pretty sure he'd have some interesting opinions on war to translate into a movie.
Anyway after that tangential rant, I have high hopes indeed.
I swear they better not mess this up, watching this take place and happen is like watching my dearest childhood memory be honored...or be mutilated, I still can't tell which one is happening.
I'm calling it.
A feature length Codec conversation.
i have good memories of little nicky. i am, on the other hand, against ghost rider. and nicolas cage. and a metal gear movie.
you can't get it right. you won't.
@new_pornographer: Are you seriously fucking kidding me? Poland? POLAND? He was born in Amsterdam in 1938 so he didn't see that much of the war. Besides although alot happend "bodies in the streets" is not one of them. Do your research before you say something like that. That's what imdb is for.
(I'm very proud of my fellow Dutchmen)
Its not the fact that this guy directed Little Nicky (which I think is hilarious) and Ghost Rider. Its the fact that the guy he wants to write this, wrote Ultraviolet.......
Thats what has me worried.
Kurt Russel isn't too bad of a pick for Snake IMO. I would also think that Hugh Jackman wouldn't be too bad either if he acted seriously (not like Van Helsing). He's got the voice and the look.
Goal 1: Uwe Boll must not be involved in any way with this movie.
Goal 2: Uwe Boll must not be involved in any way with this movie.
@ChrisLionheart: I always thought that an old snake (or big boss) would have to be Kurt Russel if the movie was ever made. It makes perfect sense, no?
@Cchrist:
Ok my bad! It was some years ago I read an interview/feature on him about his WWII experiences. In fact, I was 15 and I'm 26