Hideo Kojima Recounts Norman Reedus's Immediate Commitment to Death Stranding
The creator of Metal Gear, Hideo Kojima, recently shared the surprisingly swift story of how Norman Reedus, the star of The Walking Dead, joined the cast of Death Stranding. Despite the game being in its nascent stages of development, Reedus required minimal persuasion.
Death Stranding, despite its origins with a highly respected game developer, surprised many with its success. Central to the game's unique post-apocalyptic world was Norman Reedus's portrayal of Sam Porter Bridges, a courier tasked with delivering vital supplies across treacherous landscapes, facing both hostile BT creatures and the ever-present threat of MULES. Reedus's performance, alongside other Hollywood actors, contributed significantly to the game's captivating narrative, fueling its slow but steady rise to popularity.
With Death Stranding 2 now in development and Reedus reprising his role, Kojima revealed the behind-the-scenes story of the original game's inception. On Twitter, Kojima described pitching the concept to Reedus over a sushi dinner, receiving an immediate "yes" even before a script existed. Within a month, Reedus was in the studio for motion capture work for a promotional trailer. While Kojima didn't specify which trailer, it's highly probable this footage contributed to the iconic Death Stranding E3 2016 teaser, marking Kojima Productions' debut as an independent studio.
Kojima's post also sheds light on the precarious position of both Kojima Productions and himself at the time. He was essentially starting from scratch, having recently established the studio independently following his departure from Konami, where he dedicated years to the Metal Gear franchise. Interestingly, his connection with Reedus originated from their collaboration on the cancelled Silent Hills project with Guillermo del Toro. Although Silent Hills only materialized as the infamous P.T. demo, that initial connection ultimately paved the way for the Reedus-Kojima partnership on Death Stranding years later.
