Margaret Qualley Joins Death Stranding After Bizarre Perfume Ad Dance

Hideo Kojima, the mastermind behind Death Stranding, recently shared the intriguing story behind casting Margaret Qualley as Mama in the game. Kojima revealed that he was captivated by Qualley's performance in a Spike Jonze-directed Kenzo fragrance advertisement, which led him to offer her the role of Mama (Lockne).

In the advertisement, Qualley delivers a unique and captivating dance performance, characterized by shakes, grimaces, and spasms, even firing lasers from her fingers at one point. This performance, reminiscent of Fat Boy Slim's iconic "Weapon of Choice" video featuring Christopher Walken, showcased Qualley's ability to embody the unusual and the extraordinary—qualities that Kojima found perfect for the character of Mama.

In Death Stranding, Qualley plays Mama, also known as Målingen, a brilliant scientist and inventor within the United Cities of America. Alongside her twin sister, Lockne (also played by Qualley), she is responsible for creating the Chiral Network, a groundbreaking communications system that facilitates instant data transfer for Bridges.

Kojima shared the advertisement on Twitter on April 25, 2025, stating, "I saw this and offered her the role of Mama (Lockne) in Death Stranding." The tweet quickly garnered attention from fans, with one praising Kojima as a visionary and another humorously suggesting their own dance routine merits a role in his next project.

Currently, Kojima is busy with multiple projects, including Death Stranding 2, set to release on June 26, 2025, a live-action Death Stranding film in collaboration with A24, and the Xbox-published OD, described by Kojima as "a game I have always wanted to make." Additionally, he's working on a PlayStation exclusive action espionage project, keeping his creative endeavors as diverse and innovative as ever.

You can watch Margaret Qualley's full, bizarre, and highly entertaining performance in the 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