Hideo Kojima recently recounted how Norman Reedus, star of The Walking Dead, joined the cast of Death Stranding. Despite the game's early development stage, Reedus readily agreed to participate, according to Kojima.
Death Stranding, a surprisingly successful title from a highly respected game developer, featured Reedus as Sam Porter Bridges, a courier traversing a perilous post-apocalyptic landscape filled with BT monsters and MULES. Reedus' performance, alongside other Hollywood actors, contributed significantly to the game's success, generating considerable buzz after its release.
Kojima shared on Twitter that he pitched Death Stranding to Reedus during a sushi dinner, receiving an immediate affirmative response, even without a completed script. Within a month, Reedus was in the studio for motion capture, likely contributing to the iconic E3 2016 teaser trailer.
This anecdote highlights the nascent stages of Kojima Productions, formed after Kojima's departure from Konami. Kojima revealed he had minimal resources when he approached Reedus, having just established his independent studio. His prior collaboration with Reedus on the cancelled Silent Hills project, alongside Guillermo del Toro, proved pivotal in forging this partnership, ultimately leading to Reedus' involvement in Death Stranding.
