Kojima Casts Qualley in Death Stranding After Perfume Ad Dance

Hideo Kojima, the visionary behind Death Stranding, has shared an intriguing story about casting Margaret Qualley as Mama after being captivated by her performance in a Spike Jonze-directed Kenzo fragrance advertisement. In a tweet dated April 25, Kojima revealed, "I saw this and offered her the role of Mama (Lockne) in Death Stranding," accompanied by a link to the viral commercial.

The advertisement features Qualley dancing energetically to a bass-heavy track, reminiscent of Fat Boy Slim's iconic "Weapon of Choice" video, which famously showcased Christopher Walken's dance moves. Qualley's performance is distinctive, filled with shakes, grimaces, and even moments where she appears to fire lasers from her fingers, embodying a unique and captivating style.

In Death Stranding, Qualley portrays Mama, also known as Målingen, a brilliant scientist within the United Cities of America. Alongside her twin sister, Lockne, also played by Qualley, she is instrumental in developing the Chiral Network, a crucial communications system for the game's setting.

The Kenzo fragrance ad, which you can view below, showcases Qualley's ability to convey emotion and control through dance, a skill that evidently impressed Kojima enough to cast her in his groundbreaking game.

I saw this and offered her the role of Mama (Lockne) in Death Stranding. https://t.co/UDJa2NjbO6

— HIDEO_KOJIMA (@HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN) April 25, 2025

Fans on social media have reacted enthusiastically to Kojima's casting choice. One fan praised, "You are a visionary, Kojima-san," while another humorously suggested, "I do this most mornings, Kojima-san. Hire me too."

Kojima is currently expanding his creative universe with several high-profile projects. Death Stranding 2 is set to release on June 26, 2025, and he's also involved in a live-action Death Stranding film in collaboration with A24. Additionally, he's working on OD, an Xbox-published game he describes as "a game I have always wanted to make," and a PlayStation exclusive action espionage project.