Margaret Qualley Joins Death Stranding Cast After Bizarre Perfume Ad Dance

Hideo Kojima has shared that he was inspired to cast Margaret Qualley as Mama in Death Stranding after seeing her in a Spike Jonze-directed Kenzo fragrance advertisement. On April 25, Kojima tweeted the viral commercial, stating, "I saw this and offered her the role of Mama (Lockne) in Death Stranding."

The advertisement features Qualley in a dance performance reminiscent of Fat Boy Slim's iconic "Weapon of Choice" video, which showcased Christopher Walken's dancing prowess. In the Kenzo ad, Qualley engages in a unique and choreographed dance, characterized by shaking, grimacing, and even firing lasers from her fingers, which Kojima found compelling enough to cast her as Mama, also known as Målingen, a key scientist in the United Cities of America within the game's universe. Alongside her twin sister Lockne, whom Qualley also portrays, Mama developed the Chiral Network, a crucial communications system for Bridges that enables instant data transfer.

You can view the full, captivating performance in the 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 social media responded enthusiastically to Kojima's tweet. One fan praised, "You are a visionary, Kojima-san," while another humorously remarked, "I do this most mornings, Kojima-san. Hire me too."

Currently, Hideo Kojima is involved in several high-profile projects. Death Stranding 2 is set to release on June 26, 2025, and he is also collaborating on a live-action Death Stranding film with A24. Additionally, Kojima is 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.