Margaret Qualley Joins Death Stranding After Viral Perfume Ad Dance

Hideo Kojima, the renowned game designer, has shared the intriguing story behind casting Margaret Qualley as Mama in Death Stranding. Kojima revealed that he was inspired to offer her the role after seeing her performance in a viral fragrance advertisement directed by Spike Jonze for Kenzo.

On April 25, 2025, Kojima took to Twitter to share the advertisement, stating, "I saw this and offered her the role of Mama (Lockne) in Death Stranding." The ad features Qualley dancing energetically to a bass-heavy track, reminiscent of the style seen in Fat Boy Slim's iconic "Weapon of Choice" video, which starred Christopher Walken.

In Death Stranding, Qualley portrays Mama, also known as Målingen, a brilliant scientist working for Bridges in the United Cities of America. Alongside her twin sister, Lockne, also played by Qualley, she develops the revolutionary Chiral Network, enabling instant data transfer across the game's world.

The Kenzo fragrance ad showcases Qualley in a unique dance routine, characterized by shaking, grimacing, and even firing lasers from her fingers, adding a surreal and captivating element to the performance. The full video, which can be viewed below, has garnered significant attention for its bizarre and entertaining choreography.

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 to Kojima's revelation. One fan praised his vision, saying, "You are a visionary, Kojima-san," while another humorously remarked, "I do this most mornings, Kojima-san. Hire me too."

Currently, Kojima is busy with several high-profile projects, including Death Stranding 2, set to release on June 26, 2025, a live-action Death Stranding film in collaboration with A24, the Xbox-published OD, which Kojima describes as "a game I have always wanted to make," and a PlayStation exclusive action espionage project.