Kojima Casts Qualley in Death Stranding After Bizarre Perfume Ad Dance

Hideo Kojima recently disclosed that he cast Margaret Qualley in the role of Mama for Death Stranding after being captivated by her performance in a Spike Jonze-directed fragrance advertisement for Kenzo. Sharing the impactful 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 energetically to a bass-heavy track, reminiscent of the viral Fat Boy Slim video "Weapon of Choice," which starred Christopher Walken. Qualley's dynamic and unconventional dance routine includes shaking, grimacing, and even firing lasers from her fingers, showcasing a struggle to control her movements that captivated Kojima.

In Death Stranding, Qualley portrays Mama, also known as Målingen, a brilliant scientist within the United Cities of America. Alongside her twin sister Lockne, whom she also plays, they developed the Chiral Network, a crucial communications system for Bridges that enables instant data transfer.

You can experience Qualley's unique and engaging performance in the Kenzo fragrance ad 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 have reacted enthusiastically to Kojima's revelation. One fan praised, "You are a visionary, Kojima-san," while another humorously commented, "I do this most mornings, Kojima-san. Hire me too."

Kojima is currently immersed in multiple projects, including the much-anticipated Death Stranding 2, set to release on June 26, 2025, a live-action Death Stranding film in collaboration with A24, and OD, a new game published by Xbox that he describes as "a game I have always wanted to make." Additionally, he is developing a PlayStation exclusive action espionage project.