Hideo Kojima & George Miller Discuss Storytelling, Their Friendship And ‘Death Stranding’ At Electric SFF Panel

The air was practically dripping with excitement as Hideo Kojima and George Miller waited in the wings to step onstage for a world-exclusive conversation thanks to the Sydney Film Festival. The two legends of video games and cinema respectively have a well-documented relationship over the past 10 years, but it’s unlikely that anyone in the room thought this is a panel they’d ever be able to witness until a few weeks ago.

Thus, the utterly uproarious applause the pair received was expected yet totally overwhelming. Such excitement was well-founded, it turns out – this conversation between Kojima and Miller was insightful, funny and full of an infectious mutual adoration that couldn’t help but cause a smile.

Moderated by Aussie gaming icon Stephanie ‘Hex’ Bendixsen, the panel felt remarkably like a conversation between two friends on a legendary tangent. This tone was set right after a preview of Death Stranding 2: On the Beach where Kojima was asked what it was like to be in Australia. “This morning I went to the zoo to picture myself with a koala,” he responded, causing the audience to burst into laughter.

Guided gracefully by Bendixsen and with excellent on-the-fly translation by Aki Saito, Kojima and Miller touched on a wide array of topics in their overall discussion about storytelling with countless nuggets for fans of both. It makes sense that these two innovators of their respective mediums have such an excellent rapport, but to witness them articulating their respect for one another was truly special to witness.

While Kojima described the way seeing Mad Max as a teenager altered the trajectory of his life, Miller also has plenty of praise for Kojima’s style which he describes as comprehensive. “We’re talking about great mastery here. It doesn’t come easy, it’s hard won, but it’s there. I’m dazzled by the characters, the world, the imagery – I basically experience it at every level, every sense, and it’s great to be learning from him, actually.”

Kojima and Miller on Death Stranding 2: On the Beach

The conversation soon turned to the upcoming Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, a sequel to Kojima Productions’ acclaimed 2019 game that’s partially set in Australia and features George Miller (his likeness, anyway). The original Death Stranding was an ambitious project, and Kojima’s first non-Metal Gear Solid game since the turn of the 21st century; one that gained swift reappraisal after its tale of a worker delivering cargo to isolated settlements took on new meaning post-COVID.

Kojima’s view on the Australian continent as an interesting location to set a game was particularly enlightening. Though he couldn’t do on-site scouting, he says that a primary motivator behind the decision was to replicate the feeling of crossing America that the first Death Stranding gave with a similarly sized landmass. Plus, putting Miller in the game meant he “had to make it perfect”, in his words.

The choice naturally means that Kojima has drawn a lot on the way that Miller visualises Australia in the Mad Max series, while also including a lot of Australian flora and fauna. However, Kojima pre-emptively apologised for putting one of our birds in the wrong location: “Sorry, it’s a little mistake by me!”

It’s clear that it goes beyond a mere aesthetic choice, though: the observation that our marsupials share a similarity to protagonist Sam Bridges and his BB or ‘Bridge Baby’ was a particularly interesting one.

Additionally, Kojima also revealed that breakout Aussie directors Michael and Danny Phillippou will have a role in the upcoming Death Stranding 2,  which the brothers shared great excitement about from within the audience.

The eternal struggle and joy of storytelling

The two then began a wide-ranging conversation about the overlap between cinema and games, as well as the responsibility they have as storytellers. Both men were incredibly well-spoken, generously detailing parts of their creative processes and the artistic experiences that have made them who they are. Miller’s words about Indigenous Australians’ millennia of storytelling was an especially powerful sentiment in line with much of the prior conversation.

Most interestingly, neither Kojima or Miller seem content to rest on their laurels. Despite the critical acclaim they’ve both garnered across their career, they’re clearly both striving for even greater heights with the work they create.

It’s not just about how they create stories, but why they do it and what makes them resonate strongly with their audiences. It’s almost dumbfounding to think that neither of these two creative powerhouses believe they have a full grip on the power of storytelling, but that fact isn’t frightening to them; it’s empowering.

As the end of the conversation approached, these two iconic creators felt deeply thankful for the choices they made and the connection they share with each other.

They weren’t the only ones feeling that way, as a delighted Sydney Film Festival audience provided thunderous applause as these two icons made their exit, with everyone feeling just a little bit more connected than they did before

Hideo Kojima and George Miller: In Conversation took place on June 14th, 2025 as part of the Sydney Film Festival. Death Stranding 2: On the Beach releases on June 26th.