Hideo Kojima recently disclosed that he cast Margaret Qualley as Mama in Death Stranding after being captivated by her performance in a Spike Jonze-directed fragrance advertisement for Kenzo. On April 25, Kojima shared the viral commercial on Twitter, stating, "I saw this and offered her the role of Mama (Lockne) in Death Stranding."
The advertisement features Qualley in a unique dance routine, set to a pulsating bass track reminiscent of Fat Boy Slim's iconic "Weapon of Choice" video, which starred Christopher Walken. In the Kenzo ad, Qualley's movements are both choreographed and seemingly erratic, including moments where she shakes, grimaces, and even shoots lasers from her fingers, showcasing a struggle to control her limbs.
In Death Stranding, Qualley portrays Mama, also known as Målingen, a brilliant scientist within the United Cities of America. She and her twin sister, Lockne, whom Qualley also plays, are credited with developing the Chiral Network, a pivotal communications system for the organization Bridges, enabling instant data transfer.
You can view the full, captivating Kenzo fragrance advertisement 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
Fans on Twitter were quick to react, with one praising Kojima's visionary approach, saying, "You are a visionary, Kojima-san," while another humorously suggested, "I do this most mornings, Kojima-san. Hire me too."
Currently, Hideo Kojima is engaged in multiple projects, including Death Stranding 2, set to release on June 26, 2025, a live-action Death Stranding film in collaboration with A24, and OD, an Xbox-published game described by Kojima as "a game I have always wanted to make." Additionally, he's developing a PlayStation exclusive action espionage project.
