Death Stranding Concept Born from Giant Squid T-Shirt

Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima has shared the story of how The Walking Dead actor Norman Reedus was convinced to join Death Stranding. According to Kojima, Reedus didn't take much convincing, even though Death Stranding itself was, at the time, extremely early into its development.

Though it came from one of the most trusted creators in the game industry, Death Stranding nevertheless turned out to be something of a surprise hit for many. Anchoring its unique post-apocalyptic game world was Norman Reedus in the role of protagonist Sam Porter Bridges, a character relied upon by survivors to deliver packages from place to place, traversing through dangerous territory menaced by hostile BT monsters and marauding MULES. Reedus' performance alongside other Hollywood personalities in the game's unusual high-concept narrative also cemented the game in many fans' minds, turning it into a slow-burn hit that dominated conversation in the months after it launched.

Now, as Death Stranding 2 is in development with Reedus reprising his role, Hideo Kojima shared more about how the original game got off the ground. On his official Twitter account, Kojima said that getting Reedus onboard with the project took almost no time at all.

Hideo Kojima Says Norman Reedus Joined Death Stranding Instantly

In his post, Kojima mentioned that he pitched Death Stranding to Norman Reedus at a sushi restaurant, and that Reedus said yes "instantly," despite the game not even having a script to work with. Within a month, Reedus was in the studio for performance capture for a trailer. Though Kojima didn't specify which trailer or when it happend in his post, it's likely that some of that footage ended up in the famous Death Stranding E3 2016 teaser trailer, which unveiled the game as Kojima Productions' first title as an independent studio.

The post also revealed more about the state of both Kojima Productions and Hideo Kojima himself at the time. He said that when he pitched Death Stranding to Reedus, he "had nothing," having recently taken the studio independent after his separation from Konami, where he spent years working on the Metal Gear series. It was Kojima's work on the canceled Silent Hills game alongside filmmaker Guillermo del Toro that led to him connecting with Norman Reedus originally. Though Silent Hills never manifested as anything other than the legendary P.T. teaser, it was that connection that eventually led to Reedus and Kojima's partnership for Death Stranding years later.