Considering he's the definitive voice of Solid Snake, the least Sony could do would be to allow David Hayter a chance to have some considerable involvement in the sadly inevitable Metal Gear Solid movie. It seems that Hayter would very much like to pen the film, and has told fans how to help make that happen in a post on the IMDb boards:
Alex,
Thanks so much for your message. You rock.
As for me writing the MGS movie, tell everyone on-line to write to Matt Tolmach at Sony Pictures studios in Culver City. If enough people do this, we may be back on board.
Thanks,
DH
Of course, we all know how people on the Internet work, and it hasn't taken long for a petition to go up which fans can sign in an attempt to get David the gig. Will it work? Probably not, but fans will do anything to keep a script out of the hands of Michael Bay.
I love MGS, and find the idea of a movie quite offensive to the videogames, which did a perfect job of conveying their stories in the medium they were intended for. I can't stand it when movie makers see "cinematic potential" in videogames because it downplays the potential games already have to be effective narrative mediums. Still, I'd feel just a tiny bit better if Hayter was involved in the writing, someone who actually understands and cares about the Metal Gear universe. Mind you, that's never what Hollywood really wants, is it?
[Thanks, Zulu]
Jim Sterling serves as reviews editor for Destructoid.com, head of the Podtoid podcast, and produces a number of news stories, original features, one-of-a-kind videos. With his passionate argumentative style, controversial opinions, harsh delivery, and dedication to brutal honesty Sterling is a name that you can't help but recognize.
Likes
PS2, iPod Touch, Silent Hill 2, Metal Gear Solid, Dynasty Warriors 3
Meet the rest of the team
| BBcode help |
| [b]Bold text[/b] |
Bold text |
| [i]Italic text[/i] |
Italic text |
| [url]http://www.dtoid.com/[/url] |
http://www.dtoid.com |
| [url=http://www.dtoid.com/]Web link[/url] |
Web link |
|
| [img]http://www.example.com/robot.jpg[/img] |
 |
Post a comment! You can also post a photo below:
Comment with Facebook
Click connect and comment instantly!
|
Comment with Dtoid
New? SIGN UP - it takes 5 seconds
|
31 comments | showing # 1 to 31
|
Comment with Facebook
Click connect and comment instantly!
|
Comment with Dtoid
New? SIGN UP - it takes 5 seconds
|
Comments policy
Destructoid is an open discussion community. You don't need to "audition" to post a comment - just speak your mind. We respect differing opinions on the site, so have at it. Be smart, funny, insightful, clueless, or cute -- but back it up with substance. Keep your cool, keep it fun. We only ask that you act respectfully and above all: don't be a troll and ruin it for everyone else. Don't bring down gamers or we'll, you know, gently shoot you in the face and stuff you into a flaming mailbox. Each comment is your opportuntity to make this community awesomer. Is that even a word?
Avoiding the banhammer only requires common sense: spamming, trolling, racism, NSFW stuff, and other forms of sucking will not be tolerated. If anyone is griefing please report abuse. Be good. Don't suck!
Contest:
6:03 PM on 06.23.2008
| 
Hey hollywood don't you destroy that game
"A surveillance camera?!?"
Then I'll listen.
If someone is going to pen it though, I would prefer it to be Hayter myself. Listening to him on the LE bonus disc for MGS4, you could tell that he definitely had a passion for the series not just as the lead protagnist, but as a gamer himself. He truly gets it.
http://www.petitiononline.com/hayter/petition.html
Hope we can make this possible
As for Hayter, idk. He has a great voice and is definitely the voice of the series. But I never thought he was that good of a voice actor and it's not like he has written anything super fantastic. Hollywood has been doing pretty good with comic book movies in the last few years and if they are going to make video game movies work than this is their perfect chance. Solid Snake could easily wind up with a franchise worthy of James Bond's territory if it's done right.
It's like saying Sin City and V for Vendetta should never have been translated to movies because the comics are a fine medium. Of course they are fine, but it doesn't mean it's not fun to sit back, eat some candy and chill while watching a movie about something awesome that you love.
that is not to say that they wont be able to produce an equal or greater feeling in the future just to say that until then - games have "cinematic potential" and movies can and will take a stab at trying to bring them to real life. As far as MGS4 goes - maybe not the best idea to make a movie out of it i will admit - but like someone above said what's the matter with translating mediums?: we do it with comics, with novels (which are considered by many to be a higher form than movies), with art; Why not video games? After all "imitation is the highest form of flattery" - let's stop telling Hollywood to make adaptations and start insisting they make good ones instead.
Anyways, as much as I would love Hayter penning the script, what would truly make it for me is if he played the role of Solid Snake. To be perfectly honest, I probably won't see the movie even out of curiosity if he doesn't star in the title role. Apart from being the voice of Snake, I can't think of anyone off the top of my head who looks more like Snake either. Come on Hollywood, cast the right man for the right part!
I CAN remember the last time a video game made me cry, and the last time one made me laugh till it hurt. And, I am willing to bet that most others here can as well!
Movies are a great medium, and they more often then not are better at being emotionally compelling simply because of the empathic nature of people. (ie If you see someone crying, it makes you sad.) Only recently have games had good enough technology to make the character appear human enough in our minds without dipping into the "uncanny valley." (Look it up.) So, there is no reason to adapt a visual work of art with a compelling story to another visual medium.
Most Movie make crappy games, and most games make crappy movies. Tis the order of things. Deal with it.
I still feel shudders of horror when I think back to the Silent Hill film - so much promise, so much opportunity to introduce non-gamers to a great video game series, was wasted because the film simply sucked.
This Metal Gear film, if ever made, is going to suck, and suck big time. The only person who could play Snake would be Hayter himself (probably his main motivation for tying to do it). Now, having said that, Hayter actually has "some" experience writing screenplays (he wrote the screenplay for X-men, which wasn't bad as comic book movies go). But I strongly doubt his film would go anywhere without the Japanese team behind the Metal Gear series.
Don't do it Hayter. DON'T DO IT!!!