At the Japanese premiere of "The Backrooms," Hideo Kojima compared the beginning of his career to Kane Parsons' story. The young director attracted the attention of the film industry through short films on YouTube, and then got the opportunity to turn them into a feature film with the support of A24. As a result, the film became the studio's most successful release, grossing over $394 million worldwide:
"He's 21, and I'm 63. But when people who grew up in the digital age transfer that digital perception to analog film, the result can be astonishing."
The creator of Metal Gear and Death Stranding admitted that he partly envies Parsons, who managed to get into the big film industry at such a young age:
"I made Metal Gear at 23, but A24 only contacted me when I was about 59. So our stories are quite different, aren't they? Honestly, I'm envious. When I was about 25, there was no A24 yet. I wish they had called then."
Kojima also recalled brothers Danny and Michael Philippou, who made a cameo appearance in Death Stranding 2: On the Beach. According to the game designer, the new generation of directors is developing much faster thanks to modern technologies:
"At first, it made me quite angry: don't let them make films so quickly. But if you compare, they've known how to use Blender since childhood, they shoot films on their phones and do their own editing. They are the ones who will shape the visual style of future projects. But I'm not going to retire."
Kojima himself is now also collaborating with A24. The studio is preparing a live-action adaptation of Death Stranding, which will be directed by Michael Sarnoski, director of "Pig" and "A Quiet Place: Day One." The film's release date has not yet been announced.