Hideo Kojima has posted a selfie with Nicolas Cage. The man is full to bursting with surprises, not only in terms of his ideas but even in the way he makes public appearances.
Hailed as an "auteur of video games," Hideo Kojima has become one of the most iconic video game developers of all time, rivaling Shigeru Miyamoto in terms of sheer legendary status. Best known as the lead developer of the Metal Gear series until 2015, his style is best defined as cinematic, with a strong emphasis on the writing and narrative. No surprise Kojima would take this influence and bring filmmaking into his career as well, making a movie based on 2019's Death Stranding game, the first game he made after his studio's split from Konami, a move that was very divisive among Metal Gear fans.
Earlier today, the producer tweeted out two photos of himself in an all-white studio alongside beloved Hollywood actor Nicolas Cage, best known for his roles in films like Leaving Las Vegas, Con Air, Kick-Ass, the Ghost Rider film series, and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. He's even made his foray into the world of video games, receiving his very own character skin in Dead by Daylight. No caption was provided for the images aside from "With our dear Nicolas Cage," leaving them mostly without context, but the Kojima Productions mascot, Ludens, was positioned between them, opening up plenty of room for speculation.
Many in the replies appeared excited about what they saw, expressing their love for Cage and their awe at seeing him work with what is likely their favorite video game producer. A few jokingly suggested that Kojima helm some games based on Cage's iconic movies. Several others went on to speculate that Cage might be involved in either the Death Stranding movie or the upcoming Death Stranding 2 game. Given Kojima's lack of qualms about working with primarily screen actors, these do make for some good guesses.
Hideo Kojima is no stranger to teasing his fans and dropping surprise revelations out of nowhere. An element of mystery is a very clever way to generate buzz, and it's shown in the way Kojima's projects tend to generate more interest over any sort of announcement he puts out. Given the popularity of Nicolas Cage and his new working relationship with a similarly popular figure in the gaming industry, there's no doubt that the buzz around Kojima's games (and now movies), and the hype for whatever he has in store will undergo a massive spike.