Kojima wants to die in the theater as MGS begins

For a man who has dedicated his life to crafting cinematic universes, Hideo Kojima has offered some delightfully morbid insights into the nature of existence and media consumption. The celebrated game director recently shared a rather unique wish: he would like to pass away right in the midst of a movie theater screening.

The 62-year-old stated that he loves the prelude—the moment before the main event begins. “I’d like to die just before the movie starts,” Kojima explained, capturing that specific feeling where the lights dim and the trailers and commercials set the stage for the narrative.

This declaration, delivered during a film festival in Rome, immediately reminded audiences of Kojima’s profound connection to the visual arts. As someone who views cinema as nearly his entire world, he proudly confessed that approximately 70% of his body is made up of movies.

Beyond this charming cinematic preference, Kojima has often explored deeper themes surrounding mortality and time. Reflecting on his experiences during the pandemic, where he confronted death and watched others pass away, he wrestled with the finite nature of his own lifespan. He admitted that facing mortality led him to ponder how many years remained for creation, leading to a sobering realization about the preciousness of time.

His fears about aging are deeply personal. Kojima confessed that what frightens him most is not just death itself, but the potential loss of memory—the fear of having dementia and forgetting who he is. He worries intensely about the inevitable fog of age: “I am afraid of forgetting things when I get old.”

Kojima’s artistic lens is undeniably shaped by the films he loves. During his recent festival appearance, he introduced masterpieces like Dario Argento’s Profondo Rosso and Sergio Leone’s The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, noting how the moral ambiguity of the Westerns reminded him of classics like Akira Kurosawa’s work. He found inspiration in their inventive cinematography and narrative truths.

This cinematic influence stretches back to his game design, from the foundational works of Metal Gear Solid, which introduced cinematic lighting and epic cutscenes to gamers worldwide, to later titles like Death Stranding, which brought fully captured performances to the screen. Kojima’s journey demonstrates a life lived in full color—a masterclass in using storytelling, whether on screen or across a console, to explore the deepest human experiences.