Manga icon Junji Ito linked with game project from Metal Gear Solid, Death Stranding creator

Junji Ito's Fragments Of Horror, 2015. — Viz Media/Relaxnews

Iconic horror manga artist Junji Ito and influential video game director Hideo Kojima may be working together, per Ito's Comic-Con remarks.

Famed for his intense art style and arresting stories, Ito is particularly associated with evil succubus body horror series Tomie (1987-2000), bacteria-controlled sealife monster tale Gyo (2001-2002), cursed spiral story Uzumaki (1998-1999), and an Eisner-winning interpretation of Frankenstein.

Now it seems that he's in the process of collaborating with one of the video game world's most well-known directors, Hideo Kojima.

Ito had already cameoed in 2019's Kojima-directed game Death Stranding. At this year's online Comic-Con@Home event, he was asked whether he was involved in developing another video game.

He said (via translator, and as noticed by Comicbook.com) that "the simple answer's no", but divulged that he does "know director Kojima and we have been in conversation that he might have a horror-based game that he might be doing, and so he has invited me to work on that – but there's no details on it yet."

Kojima created and oversaw the Metal Gear franchise for almost thirty years during his time at publishing giant Konami. After his official departure in October 2015, he partnered with Sony Interactive Entertainment for the development of 2019's enigmatic post-apocalyptic package delivery adventure Death Stranding.

His interest in the horror genre was evidenced through looping corridor experience P.T., a playable teaser made in conjunction with film director and producer Guillermo del Toro, which could have become a full resurrection of Konami's Silent Hill franchise titled Silent Hills.

Kojima and intended Silent Hills lead Norman Reedus instead moved on to Death Stranding through a newly independent Kojima Productions, with del Toro making a cameo appearance alongside Ito and several others.

Del Toro later indicated that Ito had originally been approached to help develop what would have become Silent Hills.

Ito's Tomie is already being injected with a new lease of life courtesy a series for short-form TV platform Quibi, with French director Alejandro Aja (Crawl, Piranha 3D, The Hills Have Eyes) steering and Adeline Rudolph (the devilish Agatha in Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina) as its title character.

Likewise, a new four-episode anime based on Uzumaki is in production for 2021. – Relaxnews