Highlights

  • Jordan Peele's collaboration with Hideo Kojima on OD suggests that Kojima Productions is aiming for Hollywood-level cinematic experiences.
  • Kojima's previous collaborations with Guillermo del Toro and now Jordan Peele demonstrate his ties with prominent and popular filmmakers.
  • The shift from del Toro to Peele in Kojima's collaborations may provide a fresh perspective and a different approach to OD, though if it is a spiritual successor to Silent Hills, it will be interesting to see if Del Toro's influence can still be felt.

The Game Awards 2023's announcement that Jordan Peele was collaborating with Hideo Kojima on his next game OD feels eerily similar to the developer's last team-up with Guillermo del Toro, potentially suggesting that Kojima Productions is striving for Hollywood-level cinematic experiences. Though there have been plenty of rumors surrounding Kojima's upcoming games, such as Keanu Reeves featuring in Death Stranding 2, it should have been expected that Peele would be working on OD after he appeared on Kojima's podcast and expressed interest in game development. This would mean that all three games by Kojima since his departure from Konami have had ties with prominent and popular filmmakers.

After initially collaborating on PT with the presumption that he would further go on to develop the since-canceled Silent Hills, Guillermo del Toro continued to work with Kojima Productions when he featured as Deadman in Death Stranding. But while this arguably conciliatory role ensures that del Toro would always remain a part of Death Stranding and its upcoming sequel, it did result in any plans for Silent Hills being lost in the process. However, with OD's presentation at The Game Awards 2023 hinting at influences from PT, it seems that Kojima's original aim for his and del Toro's Silent Hills is now being channeled through Peele's collaboration instead.

Every Cast Member Confirmed for Kojima Production's OD Game So Far
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Every Cast Member Confirmed for Kojima Production's OD Game So Far

Kojima Productions' OD is still shrouded in mystery, but the teaser trailer reveals three prominent actors appearing in the game.

Exploring Kojima's Collaborations With del Toro and Peele

Kojima Peele Toro Trio

Kojima and del Toro, Silent Hills and Death Stranding

Since their short-lived collaboration began with the prospective Silent Hills, comparisons between the broader Silent Hill series and Death Stranding were inevitable, as del Toro continued to play a part in Kojima's new game following his exit from Konami. Though del Toro clarified that his new role in Death Stranding would have him nowhere near as involved as he was on PT, it does seem that Kojima had still been influenced by the filmmaker, with ideas and concepts appearing to have been carried over from Silent Hills. For instance, the themes of human connection and isolation throughout Death Stranding's new "strand" genre strongly reflect del Toro's own work exploring the human condition.

But years after Death Stranding's release, del Toro was still showing his appreciation for the Konami series when he name-dropped Silent Hill during The Game Awards 2021. As this continues to be a sore spot for both Kojima and del Toro after the pair took to social media during PT's eighth anniversary, del Toro's frustration seems to suggest that there is still undelivered potential behind Silent Hills. So, while Death Stranding might have briefly brought Kojima and del Toro together, the shadow of Silent Hills still seems to linger as a reminder to both of them, as well as PT players, of what the canceled game could have been.

Moving From del Toro and Silent Hills to Peele and OD

Given that Peele brings the reputation of a well-known film director between both horror and Hollywood, he is already an ideal choice for another of Kojima's collaborations. But considering how Kojima presented OD at The Game Awards 2023 with potential references to PT, it seems that this upcoming collaboration with Peele will instead be picking up where Silent Hills left off. It's possible then that while OD still needed a cinematic vision that had originally been intended for del Toro's Silent Hills, the shift in creative collaboration could provide Kojima with the opportunity to get a fresh perspective on direction through Peele.

With this in mind, OD will likely take a different approach as a possible spiritual successor to Silent Hills, and Peele's experience in psychological horror would hopefully be what drives this approach. This could see influences from Peele's other work being felt, with a possible connection being how Nope was about "addiction to spectacle" and how OD had been dubbed Project Overdose before its announcement. As a result, while this collaboration with Peele could create a wildly different cinematic experience from the mind of Kojima, it remains to be seen whether any of del Toro's ideas from PT and Silent Hills carry over into OD.