Veteran game director and self-confessed movie buff Hideo Kojima has revealed his unique and intriguing desire to pass away in a movie theater, just as the film itself is about to start. The 62-year-old creator of the Metal Gear Solid series made this comment at a film festival in Rome earlier this month, and later shared a clip of the moment on his official X account.

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According to IGN’s translation of Kojima’s Japanese statement, he expressed his preference to die ‘just before the movie starts’ and described the experience as ‘the bit before the movie starts the most.’ He added that he loves entering a movie theater, watching the lights go off, and seeing commercials and trailers play. Kojima’s love for the cinema is well-documented, and he has previously shared his thoughts on recent movies he’s seen in theaters on his X account.

This isn’t the first time Kojima has spoken about his own mortality. Last year, he revealed that he had left a USB stick of game ideas for after he dies, and discussed his change of thinking that occurred during the pandemic. In an interview with Edge magazine, Kojima explained that turning 60 was less of a turning point in his life than his experiences during the pandemic.

‘I fell seriously ill at that time, and also had an eye operation,’ he said. ‘Until then, I didn’t think I was old, you know? I just didn’t feel my age, and I assumed I would be able to create for as long as I live.’ However, Kojima’s experiences during the pandemic made him confront his own mortality, and he began to think about how many years he had left to make a game or a film.

‘Perhaps I have 10 years?’ he mused. Kojima has also spoken about his fears as he has got older, including the fear of time, dying with dementia, and forgetting things. He has previously expressed his desire to create something meaningful before he dies.

At the Piccolo America Foundation’s 12th edition of Il Cinema in Piazza, Kojima introduced several movies, including Shunya Ito’s 1972 film Female Prisoner Scorpion: Jailhouse 41. He praised the film’s inventive cinematography and camera angles, as well as the young crew’s commitment to creating something unique on a very limited budget. Kojima has previously referenced the gorier moments in Dario Argentino’s films in Policenauts and Snatcher, and has also expressed his admiration for Sergio Leone’s Westerns.

Kojima is currently working on experimental horror game OD, which is slated to be published by Xbox Game Studios in collaboration with Get Out director Jordan Peele. Despite his love for physical media, Kojima has been buying up Blu-rays and CDs in recent years.