Hideo Kojima has revealed that he was inspired to cast Margaret Qualley as Mama in Death Stranding after seeing her in a Spike Jonze-directed Kenzo fragrance advertisement. Sharing the viral commercial on X (formerly Twitter) on April 25, Kojima stated, "I saw this and offered her the role of Mama (Lockne) in Death Stranding."
The advertisement features Qualley dancing to a bass-heavy track reminiscent of Fatboy Slim's iconic "Weapon of Choice" video, which showcased Christopher Walken's dancing skills. In the Kenzo ad, Qualley's performance is equally captivating, as she executes a unique choreography filled with shakes, grimaces, and spasms, even firing lasers from her fingers at one point. Her dance also includes moments where she struggles to control her limbs, adding to the ad's bizarre yet entertaining nature. You can watch the full performance below:
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
In Death Stranding, Qualley portrays Mama, also known as Målingen, a pivotal character who is one of the greatest gadget-inventing scientists in the United Cities of America. Alongside her twin sister Lockne, also played by Qualley, she is responsible for creating the Chiral Network, a crucial communications system for the Bridges organization that enables instantaneous data transfer.
Fans on X responded enthusiastically to Kojima's casting revelation. One fan praised him, saying, "You are a visionary, Kojima-san," while another humorously remarked, "I do this most mornings, Kojima-san. Hire me too."
Currently, Kojima is working on several high-profile projects. Death Stranding 2 is set to release on June 26, 2025. He is also involved in a live-action Death Stranding film with A24, and OD, an Xbox-published game described by Kojima as "a game I have always wanted to make." Additionally, he is developing a PlayStation exclusive action espionage project.
