John Carpenter refused to sue Hideo Kojima over similarities between Metal Gear Solid and his cult classic film Escape From New York.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Carpenter did not seem fazed by the resemblance of MGS, which stars an eyepatched mercenary named Snake, to EFNY, which stars an eyepatched mercenary named Snake.

CanalPlus, which co-owns the rights to the film with Carpenter, "wanted to go after the video game Metal Gear Solid, which is kind of a rip-off of Escape From New York," Carpenter said.

"But I told them not to do that. I know the director of those games, and he’s a nice guy, or at least he’s nice to me."

Carpenter, now 67 years old and only occasionally directing films, is well-known for his love of video games, and has stated that Borderlands 2 is his favourite game.

"I'm doing fine," he said of his current life and work situation. "I'm living a great life and get to watch NBA basketball and get to play video games, so there’s nothing I can complain about."

Both Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain and Escape From New York are available now; the film's sequel, Escape From LA, is best avoided.