Metal Gear Solid movie on indefinite hold

Last week, a reported Spider-Man 4 delay cast doubt over the future of the Warcraft movie. Now, another big-screen adaptation of an iconic game franchise appears to be in trouble--if not canceled outright.

Speaking to movie-news site Collider, producer Michael De Luca said that work on Sony Pictures' Metal Gear Solid movie has ceased indefinitely. "I don't think it's going to move forward because I got the sense that there may not be enough of a coordinated will at this point on the side of certain parties to see a movie get made," said the veteran filmmaker.

Though he did not name Metal Gear Solid publisher Konami or developer Kojima Studios by name, De Luca indicated that differences between the two parties and Sony were to blame. "The video game companies are very protective of their property, and there are certain things a studio requires freedom-wise to market and distribute a movie effectively in a global marketplace and sometimes getting those two things to match up is really hard," said the producer. "In the case of Metal Gear Solid, the agendas just [didn't]…not because the parties weren't amicable, it was just kind of impossible to get the agendas to match up."

Though neither Konami nor Sony Pictures had responded to requests for comment as of press time, De Luca's comments appear to signal the end to the Metal Gear Solid movie. The live-action project was first revealed at the 2006 Electronic Entertainment Expo by game designer Hideo Kojima, who was to be its executive producer. Sony revealed its involvement just under three years ago, with Christian Bale rumored to be playing Solid Snake at one point.

[UPDATE] GameSpot reader RedMageNeko points out that there already is a live-action MGS movie--the unauthorized, fan-made Italian production Metal Gear Philanthropy.