On April 28, 2006, Kojima announced on his weekly podcast, HIDECHAN! Radio, that "[they] are going to do it as a movie," referring to Metal Gear Solid, and that it is going to be in English.[1][2] Kojima Productions distributed a catalog for upcoming games at E3 2006, which included an article on the film project. In it, Kojima stated that "a movie project is underway," and that a contract with a party in Hollywood has been finalized.[3]
Before the project was announced, German director Uwe Boll, known for his poorly received video game-based films, claimed that he received a script from Konami for a possible Metal Gear Solid movie adaptation.[4] In response, Kojima stated that they have never talked to Boll, and that "it's impossible we'd ever do a movie with him".[5] After the announcement, Kojima reiterated that Boll will have nothing to do with the project.[3][6]
On February 8, 2007, Sony Pictures Entertainment vice chairman Yair Landau revealed his studio is developing the project. "We're working with the Metal Gear guys," Landau said following his D.I.C.E. summit keynote address in Las Vegas. "It's a very cinematic game, it really lends itself to movie telling. But the question is, 'How do you translate Snake's experience into a full arc that conforms to what audiences expect on the large screen?'"[7]
It was also confirmed on February 8, 2007 that Michael De Luca would produce with Hideo Kojima executive producing.
In an interview, Hideo Kojima said that he would like actor Christian Bale to play the lead character, Solid Snake. In a later interview, Kojima stated that Viggo Mortensen would be his new first choice for the role. At one point, Christian Bale stated in an interview that he was interested in playing a character with a mullet and a bandanna, hinting, of course, at playing Solid Snake. However nothing ever came out of that statement.[citation needed]
On May 15, 2007, IGN reported that screenwriter David Hayter, who played Solid Snake in the Metal Gear Solid video games would NOT be writing the script as his script was turned down.