With films like Guardians of the Galaxy, Jurassic World and Captain America: The Winter Soldier being made by names like James Gunn, Colin Trevorrow and Joe and Anthony Russo, a pattern has quickly developed in Hollywood where big blockbuster movies are being made by non-blockbuster directors. That pattern is growing deeper today, as one of the most anticipated upcoming video game adaptations is now in talks with a filmmaker who only made his feature debut last year. Jordan Vogt-Roberts, who broke out in a big way in 2013 with his indie hit The Kings of Summer, is now in negotiations to helm the upcoming Metal Gear Solid film.
Deadline broke the news of the burgeoning deal and adds that the project has been in development for a very, very long time. Buzz about the potential movie began all the way back in 2006, and while it looked like it had a chance to move forward in August 2012, that obviously never came to be. A big part of the problem was that the Metal Gear Solid game creators and Sony had trouble getting on the same page about the direction for the project, but apparently they have gotten over that hump.
The video game franchise began all the way back in 1998 and was published by Konami for the first generation Playstation. The story follows a legendary solider named Solid Snake who specializes in infiltration and sabotage. Multiple games have been made for practically every platform over the years. The most recent release, Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes, was released on March 18th of this year and as of April has sold over a million copies worldwide. To get an idea of what the Solid Snake looks like, take a gander at him in this screenshot:
Vogt-Roberts is an interesting choice for the Metal Gear Solid directing gig not only because of his limited experience directing features but also because he is primarily known for his work in comedy. Before making The Kings of Summer, the filmmakers mostly worked on television comedies Single Dads, Funny or Die Presents, Death Valley and Mash Up. That said, The Kings of Summer was one of the best films of last year and the director showed great visual promise. I suspect Sony likes him because he comes from the indie world and knows how to work on a limited budget, but it will still be interesting to see what he can do with the blockbuster money they give him.
