Bill Skarsgard Joins Hideo Kojima's Physint: How It Happened

Ever wonder how a Hollywood star ends up leading a Hideo Kojima game? For Physint, it all started with a composer and a pile of merch.

Hideo Kojima's spiritual successor to Metal Gear Solid, Physint, has found its leading man in Bill Skarsgard (It, Boy Kills World). But the way it happened is pure Kojima. The introduction came courtesy of Yoann "Woodkid" Lemoine, the composer for Death Stranding 2: On the Beach. One day, Skarsgard visited Woodkid's studio and noticed piles of Kojima Productions merchandise. "What's this? Why do you have all this!?" Skarsgard asked. Woodkid replied, "I worked with them," and that's how the two were introduced. Kojima later traveled to Sweden to meet Skarsgard and his family. Skarsgard was already a fan of the Metal Gear franchise, so when Kojima pitched him the lead role in Physint, he accepted.

Kojima shared these details on the Koji 10 radio program, where he also praised Skarsgard's dedication. "He's been in some excellent films. Directors I know have worked with him and can't praise him enough," Kojima said. "I wanted to work with him for a long time." It's clear the feeling is mutual, because Skarsgard is already chomping at the bit to get started. According to Kojima, "We've finished his scan now. We have to scan actors early, because processing the data takes a long time. We'll film the performance much later. But he's so eager he doesn't want to wait. He keeps asking me for the script. I have the plot ready. But he wants to know the lines and how his character speaks. He wants to start preparing now."

That level of commitment isn't surprising for Skarsgard, who is known for diving deep into his roles. But Kojima also revealed another key factor in the casting: chemistry. "The poster we released the other day showed him with Charlee. Their chemistry is very important," Kojima explained. "We tested their on-screen chemistry and did a camera test. We scanned them in full makeup. Their clothes were just for reference; these aren't the final costumes. The contrast between these two is striking." Charlee Fraser, who also stars in Physint, clearly made an impression.

What's even more impressive? Skarsgard managed to keep his involvement a total secret. "He's so serious; he hadn't told anyone. It was confidential, of course, since we hadn't announced it," Kojima added. "Even his parents didn't know. That's impressive. He's a very conscientious person." That kind of discretion is rare in an age of leaks, and it shows how seriously Skarsgard is taking the role.

Physint is still a long way off, but Kojima has described it as the "biggest-selling" game he could possibly create. With Skarsgard and several other actors attached, it's likely a very expensive production. Unconfirmed reports suggest the budget at Sony was over $400 million, though that figure has never been confirmed. It's also rumored that Xbox is paying a lot less to get it over the finish line.

So, what do you think? Are you excited to see Bill Skarsgard lead a Kojima game? Let us know in the comments!