Norman Reedus Recruited for Death Stranding in Unique Pitch

Hideo Kojima recently recounted the surprisingly swift recruitment of Norman Reedus for Death Stranding. Despite the game's nascent development stage, Reedus readily agreed to join the project after a brief pitch at a sushi restaurant, according to Kojima's own Twitter post. This happened even before a script existed. Remarkably, within a month, Reedus was already participating in motion capture sessions for a promotional trailer, likely contributing to the iconic E3 2016 teaser.

Death Stranding, a unique post-apocalyptic title featuring Reedus as Sam Porter Bridges, defied expectations and became a critical and commercial success. Its innovative gameplay and star-studded cast, including Reedus' compelling performance, fueled significant post-launch discussion. The game's unusual narrative, centered around the delivery of crucial packages across perilous landscapes infested with BTs and MULES, resonated strongly with players.

Kojima's narrative highlights his precarious position at the time. Newly independent from Konami after a lengthy tenure developing the Metal Gear series, and having just experienced the cancellation of Silent Hills (a project that initially brought him and Reedus together), he approached Reedus with essentially nothing but an idea. The connection forged during the aborted Silent Hills collaboration, featuring Guillermo del Toro, proved instrumental in securing Reedus for Death Stranding. The immediate acceptance, Kojima emphasizes, speaks volumes about the trust and mutual respect between them. Now, with Death Stranding 2 underway, this anecdote offers fascinating insight into the genesis of this groundbreaking title.