The film adaptation for Metal Gear Solid is being slated for a 2009/2010 release and is being directed by Kurt Wimmer (Ultraviolet, Equilibrium) and has Kojima on as Exec. Producer and primary story writer. Though no casting information has been announced. Now the real question. Given the nature of this film, a videogame adaptation, with a fairly unknown director, with a currently unstated budget... who are some likely and realistic casting choices?

Any opinions?

David Hayter as Snake because not only does he have the voice of Snake in the first place, he also looks the part.

Edit: Hasn't this thread come up before?

I disagree, Hayter hasn't worked in years and he looks a little too baby faced. If he went HARD method for the movie though I'd accept him. Studio Execs are another matter however and the reality as is follows...

They don't want to spend 50+ Million on a film without a bankable lead, and Hayter is not a "movie seller" except for series fans. Though Kojima wants him so in the end he may get the role.

Rumor has it though that the Studio has already rejected him as a choice, so lets NOT discusss Hayter, since he's currently 50/50, if he's going to be Snake, he already is, if not, who else could do it?

Response to your edit:

I don't know, I couldn't find it for 5 pages, so I gave up, but this isn't a "dream" casting, this is an attempt at realistic guessing. Also I wanted to stop derailing the "Best Game to Movie Adaptation" thread.

...MGS with an old snake
...MGSonline
and now a movie?
sorry but i feel the series died halfway through MGS2 theyre just not trying anymore

PedroSteckecilo:
Response to your edit:

I don't know, I couldn't find it for 5 pages, so I gave up, but this isn't a "dream" casting, this is an attempt at realistic guessing. Also I wanted to stop derailing the "Best Game to Movie Adaptation" thread.

Hmm, I'm sure I remember seeing this being discussed before.

Anyway, I was not choosing David Hayter as a "dream" cast but as a realistic one.

Christian Bale in every role.

Like, all of them.

Yeah.

this is at least the third thread on this subject. Use the flamin search tool!

Otherwise: Christian Bale as Snake
Sean Bean as Liquid, or Christian Bale as Liquid as well, just to keep the whole clones thing believable.

There are threads which mention it, but none which are dedicated to it... at least none anymore.

Christian Bale says he's up for the role of Snake, but Kojima favours Viggo Mortensen (quoted in this month's official U.K. PlayStation mag).

Alphavillain:
Christian Bale says he's up for the role of Snake, but Kojima favours Viggo Mortensen (quoted in this month's official U.K. PlayStation mag).

Really? I would buy Viggo Mortensen actually, or Bale. They're both up there in my list of "favorite actors" and I think they could both handle the role.

The series peaked with MGS3, it is pretty much the epitomy of story-based gaming, the game was cinematic, but you don't notice because you're OH SHIT HE DIDN'T DESTROY IT OH FUCK RUNNING FROM IT ON A DINKY MOTORCYCLE THE MOST BAD ASS CORNERING MANUVER EVER PERFORMED ON A MOTORCYCLE LEANING ALL THE FUCKING WAY OUTSIDE THE THING ON THE TURN HOLY FUUUUUUUCK to realize you where playing through what was pretty much the best game of the last console generation. Whether or not they do the first movie based on the prequel, or on the original Metal Gear Solid, it will have a tough time living up to what has come before it.

As for the movie, it would be incredible to see them implement the stealth elements and combat of the games into a live-action movie.

And my two cents on the whole David Hayter debate, at seeing his pictures, David Hayter would have to go on a diet of pure MANLINESS to be able to pull off playing Snake, not to mention getting the mannerisms down.

Just remember the massive backlash from MGS2 when everyone found out you played 90% of the game as someone other than Snake, and how pretty much everyone was incredibly pissed, and how to this day it is seen as being lackluster and kinda crappy.

Cut Hayter out of it, and it won't feel like Metal Gear Solid anymore. It'll be some kind of imitation, with some guy playing the role of snake. If Hayter got ultrabuff, and got the role down and phoned it in properly, you'd have people going 'oh shit its Snake'.

They should create a parody movie, and like have Samuel Jackson as Fortune or something equally ridiculous. I'm sure the bloke who played Mr.Pink in Reservoir Dogs would make for a superb Vamp (see: Con Air).

Why are people worrying about who's going to play Snake? What about Revolver Ocelot!? I can't think of anyone suitable to play him, aside from like, Clive Owen or someone equally random.

I'm tired of these motherfucking Snakes in my motherfucking sequels!

Snake just wouldnt feel right without his proper voice.

Also; could they get the guy who played boris in Goldeneye to play Otacon?

I've never even played any Metal Gear Solid game but I'm going to go with Christian Bale because he rules. In any role he plays, he's just awesome. Especially in Equilibrium.(Batman Begins, too.) :-)

Weren't they in talks with Hugh Jackman to play Snake? Also, anyone notice that Otacon looks a bit like a white Kojima?

Melaisis: You're thinking Steve Buschemi, he's a good character actor but an unlikely choice for Vamp, in fact, anyone from MGS2 showing up is VERY unlikely, given that it'll likely be based almost entirely off of the Shadow Moses incident.

Najal: You're thinking of Alan Cummings, he also played Nightcrawler in the new X-Men movies. He'd be pretty darn good as otakon actually, though he'd be an unlikely choice, can't say exactly why though, I just wouldn't see producers choosing him, but I'd certainly be happy if they did.

For Vulcan Raven, I'm gonna say Ron Perlman, why? Because he's awesome, likely to take the part, and looks really good bald.

For Grey Fox... I am entirely unsure.

For Revolver Ocelot...hmmm... Gary Oldman. He would be a perfect ocelot. Looks the part (see Dracula) and can definately act it (see Air Force One or The Professional)

For Liquid Snake, I would want Sean Bean, assuming Viggo Mortensen is playing Solid Snake, if Solid is being played by Christian Bale, I don't know. I don't think they should do a double cast for Liquid, since Snake doesn't know he's his brother, and they aren't identical.

For Sniper Wolf... I would say Cate Blanchett, assuming she would take the role, or Famke Jansen (for reference see Goldeneye).

For Psycho Mantis I would say Doug Jones, since he does such good make-up work and would look great in the suit.

I'm unsure on Meryl and some other minor parts. I wounldn't expect any Codec Only Characters except Naomi Hunter and Colonel Campbell though.

Alphavillain:
Christian Bale says he's up for the role of Snake, but Kojima favours Viggo Mortensen (quoted in this month's official U.K. PlayStation mag).

I was totally going to mention Viggo Mortensen aswell, Viggo = Snake x Infinity. Slash/ they should just a do a blanket casting of uber-men.

Viggo Mortensen
Christian Bale
Daniel Craig
Clive Owen
Chow Yun Fat (Why? because i goddamn say so. Anyone seen Hardboiled?)

I don't even care what roles they play, if ANY movie had that cast, they would have to hand out buckets to the audience members, in which to hold their MELTED FACES.

FUCK YES.

PedroSteckecilo:
Melaisis: You're thinking Steve Buschemi, he's a good character actor but an unlikely choice for Vamp, in fact, anyone from MGS2 showing up is VERY unlikely, given that it'll likely be based almost entirely off of the Shadow Moses incident.

Vamp is also in MGS4. A mission between 2 and 4 would be good filler story in my opinion.

They won't do filler story, depends too much on foreknowledge of the plot. The best plan for ANY videogame adaptation to movie is to either...

A) Do an adaptation of the story from the best (or most famous) game in the series.

B) Do something completely different, using the games as a basis (usually not very good)

C) Amalgamate all the games into one movie (bad plan)

So far the 'best' use of dodging the game story was in the first Resident Evil movie, where it is set sort of before the first game and shows a lot of connections. Unfortunately... it still sucked.

Also Silent Hill tried basing its story directly off of Game 1, but that only kind of worked, though they threw in other elements like Pyramid Head and the Straight Jacket guys, which worked well as references for the fans.

After seeing a couple of pictures of the actors, here's my list of people for snake.

Just for the record, i am horrible at nameing actors and knowing what they've done, so i've chosen from the actors already recomended in this thread.

David Hayter: Just buff him up a bit, put some gruff makeup on and we've got a solid, ermm, solid snake.

Sean Bean: looks a bit like him.

Daniel Craig: meh

That's my choice, though i would prefer David over the others. Just slap some makeup on, you've got snake!

Ok, if they can make Harrison Ford look less than 1000 years old for a new Indiana Jones, and video-edit the crazy out of Tom Cruise for MI3, it doesn't matter if David Hayter looked like Carlos Mencia, they can fix it with computers... But the voice, the voice must be real, and it must be him.

Also, if they cast Raiden, I'm stick between Ben Assflick in a wig, or David Bowie.

How about pick the person whom Snake's face in the MGS series was based on? Christopher Walken!
And instead of having his voice, dubbing David Hayter's voice over it.

I swear I would laugh so much if that actually happened.

Although, I do believe Daniel Craig might be able to pull of a good Grey Fox. Maybe.

I'm gonna subscribe to the "Christian Bale as Snake" theory, simply because he's f-ing amazing and can pull just about any voice/accent possible. I'm pretty sure if he played through any MGS game that he could pull a believable David Hayter impression. Really, just watch Batman Begins, Equilibrium, Harsh Times, or any other movie when he plays an American. I didn't know he was from Whales until I IMDB'd him.

Christian Bale is Welsh? I thought he was just British...

I don't care how but they need to get Kurt Russell!
after all he did play Snake in Escape form New York so who else could you have I know he's old but so is Snake

Kukakkau:
...MGS with an old snake

Some trailers made it look like he actually isn't old...or...maybe he isn't young?

>_> A TWIST!

ElArabDeMagnifico:

Kukakkau:
...MGS with an old snake

Some trailers made it look like he actually isn't old...or...maybe he isn't young?

>_> A TWIST!

technically he is 40 <_< YET ANOTHER TWIST! (my friend blames smoking)

Jumplion:

ElArabDeMagnifico:

Kukakkau:
...MGS with an old snake

Some trailers made it look like he actually isn't old...or...maybe he isn't young?

>_> A TWIST!

technically he is 40 <_< YET ANOTHER TWIST! (my friend blames smoking)

Ah, but the clones age far quicker than usual human beings, hence him looking about 70 and Solidus looking around 60 at the time of death.

PedroSteckecilo:
Christian Bale is Welsh? I thought he was just British...

Britain contains Wales.

EDIT: So then, Kurt Wimmer is directing, hmm....Equilibrium is pretty good, but Ultra Violet is rubbish.

bodyklok:
I don't care how but they need to get Kurt Russell!
after all he did play Snake in Escape form New York so who else could you have I know he's old but so is Snake

Too short.

Melaisis:

Jumplion:

ElArabDeMagnifico:

Kukakkau:
...MGS with an old snake

Some trailers made it look like he actually isn't old...or...maybe he isn't young?

>_> A TWIST!

technically he is 40 <_< YET ANOTHER TWIST! (my friend blames smoking)

Ah, but the clones age far quicker than usual human beings, hence him looking about 70 and Solidus looking around 60 at the time of death.

I figured it was the FOXDIE virus that was speeding up the age virus and eventually killing him. Ah well. No matter what i say, my friend is still going to blame him smoking as I blame his squeaky voice on the dry ramen he eats.

Ha, nvm, the work was done for me.

A little make up to make him more "rugged" and some color contacts, and you pretty much have a Snake. Don't know how good of an actor he may be but..I'm sure he's already got snakes character down so it should just be second nature - voice actors don't just stand still in the studio anyway so, if they are planning on a movie I wouldn't be surprised to see him.

Hugh Laurie for Col. Roy or Cambell or whatever his name is.
Laurie is British and is only pretending to have an American accent for House, so he would ideally have a pretty good accent.

Anarchemitis:
Hugh Laurie for Col. Roy or Cambell or whatever his name is.
Laurie is British and is only pretending to have an American accent for House, so he would ideally have a pretty good accent.

Hugh Laurie? For the Col.? Are you sure you may not be thinking about Major Tom? because that is the only british col. I remember.