Hideo Kojima Reveals How He Pitched Death Stranding to Norman Reedus

Hideo Kojima Recounts Norman Reedus's Immediate Commitment to Death Stranding

Hideo Kojima, the visionary behind the Metal Gear series, recently shared the surprisingly swift story of how Norman Reedus, star of The Walking Dead, joined the cast of Death Stranding. Despite the game being in its nascent stages of development, Reedus readily accepted Kojima's pitch.

Death Stranding, a unique post-apocalyptic title, unexpectedly became a critical and commercial success. Norman Reedus's portrayal of Sam Porter Bridges, a courier traversing treacherous landscapes filled with BTs and MULES, was pivotal to the game's appeal. His performance, alongside other Hollywood actors, contributed significantly to the game's captivating narrative, solidifying its status as a slow-burning phenomenon.

With Death Stranding 2 now in production and Reedus returning, Kojima revealed the behind-the-scenes story. He recounted pitching the game to Reedus during a sushi dinner, where Reedus instantly agreed, even without a completed script. Remarkably, within a month, Reedus was in the studio for motion capture, likely contributing to the iconic Death Stranding E3 2016 trailer—the game's debut as Kojima Productions' first independent project.

Kojima's post also highlighted the precarious position of both himself and his studio at the time. Having recently established Kojima Productions following his departure from Konami, he essentially had "nothing" when he approached Reedus. Their initial connection stemmed from the cancelled Silent Hills project, which featured Reedus and Guillermo del Toro. Although Silent Hills only materialized as the infamous P.T. demo, that collaboration unexpectedly paved the way for the eventual partnership on Death Stranding.