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‘Hannibal’ star Mads Mikkelsen suspected of role in the latest Kojima game, ‘Death Stranding’

By Will Fulton August 23, 2016

mads death stranding theory mikklesen rogue one 720x720 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Normally, nothing good comes out of internet conspiracy theories, borne out of forum speculation and cross-referenced pictures.

But when it comes to the work of Metal Gear series creator Hideo Kojima, conspiracy theories may be the most appropriate way to approach it, especially when we know so little about his first solo project, Death Stranding.

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Revealed at this past E3 with a profoundly cryptic trailer featuring The Walking Dead star Norman Reedus, we still know essentially nothing about this game. The internet will of course fill that vacuum with wild speculation built around any scraps we do have, and the latest running theory is that the game’s cast will include Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen, best known for playing Le Cheiffre in Casino Royale, and his absolutely brilliant turn as Hannibal Lecter in NBC’s Hannibal.

The rumor started when Kojima posted an image on Twitter of an unidentified actor in a motion capture session:

Adjusting. pic.twitter.com/tC8zdjrh9o

— HIDEO_KOJIMA (@HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN) August 21, 2016

NeoGAF user Sn4ke_911 caught that on the same day Jonny Erskine posted an image to Instagram with Mikkelsen wearing a suspiciously similar sweatshirt:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BJYV9e0A8LQ/

According to Erskine in the comments, Mikkelsen said that he was in England while acting in a Japanese video game. In the past Kojima has described Mikkelsen as his favorite actor, so we know for sure that the Hannibal star is on Kojima’s radar.

Mads Mikkelsen is an extraordinary actor, and has previously demonstrated a knack for video game levels of badassery in the one-eyed viking protagonist of Drive director Nicolas Winding Refn’s Valhalla Rising, so we would be thrilled if it were true that he’s collaborating with Kojima.

There are currently no details about a release window for Death Stranding, which is being developed exclusively for PlayStation 4 by the newly-independent Kojima Productions.

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Will Fulton is a New York-based writer and theater-maker. In 2011 he co-founded mythic theater company AntiMatter Collective…

Gaming

Macs are getting a ‘Game Mode’ feature and Death Stranding: Director’s Cut

Sam Bridges gives a peace sign in Death Stranding: Director's Cut.

Death Stranding: Director's Cut is coming to Mac, Hideo Kojima announced today during WWDC 23. The news came amid a brief gaming section during Apple's annual showcase, which also introduced a new Game Mode for Macs.

During WWDC's gaming block, Apple highlighted how the likes of No Man's Sky and Stray have made their way to Mac before announcing a dedicated Game Mode for Mac that prioritizes the CPU and GPU and minimizes latency on Xbox and PlayStation controllers. Apple also announced the Game Porting Toolkit for Metal, which should make it easier for game developers to bring their games to Mac.
After all that, Apple introduced Kojima, who said he's been an Apple fan since he bought a Mac in 1994 and confirmed that Death Stranding: Director's Cut is coming to Mac. This enhanced version of Kojima's 2019 hit was previously released for PS5 and Windows, with new missions, features like a firing range and racing, and more.
The Mac version of the game will benefit from utilizing technology like Metal 3 and MetalFX Upscaling, although it doesn't seem like Apple fans should expect anything in the way of new content. That will likely be saved for the game's upcoming sequel, Death Stranding 2.
At the end of his segment, Kojima also stated that "we are actively working to bring our future titles to Apple platforms." This potentially hints at the fact that games like Death Stranding 2 and his Xbox-published title could eventually make their way to Apple's devices.
Death Stranding: Director's Cut will launch for Mac on an unspecified date later this year, with preorders opening soon.

Gaming

The best trailers from The Game Awards 2022: Judas, Death Stranding 2, and more

A partially destroyed robot sits in Judas' reveal trailer.

The Game Awards 2022 was full of awesome reveals, and many of them had amazing trailers that we're still eager to rewatch after the show. From clever music choices to flashy visuals to stunning cast reveals, these seven trailers stuck out above the rest. If you don't experience anything else from The Game Awards 2022, make sure you still check out these trailers for Replaced, Judas, Death Stranding 2, and more.
Replaced
REPLACED - World Premiere Trailer | The Game Awards 2022
The best trailer of The Game Awards 2022's Opening Act pre-show was Replaced, an indie darling that made a strong first impression with a trailer at Xbox's E3 2022 showcase. This indie game stands out because of its utterly beautiful pixel art that looks just as good, if not even better, than HD-2D games like Live A Live. Even outside of Replaced's inherent style, this is just a well-paced trailer that slowly builds up the game's atmosphere before a song needle drop that compliments the trailer showcasing the game's action and platforming. Heading into 2023, Replaced is an indie that should definitely be on your radar.
Hades II
Hades II - Reveal Trailer
The first trailer of The Game Awards 2022's main show wasn't too shabby either. Starting with some fantastic animation made by Studio Grackle, it slowly becomes clear that this is an action-packed follow-up to one of the best game's ever made. The animation on its own would've been good enough to whet fans' appetites, but Supergiant Games also decided to show quite a bit of gameplay in the reveal trailer, affirming that Hades II will have the same smooth and satisfying combat as its predecessor.
Judas
Judas Official Reveal Trailer | Game Awards 2022
We finally got a look at BioShock creator Ken Levine's first project in almost a decade at The Game Awards 2022, and its reveal trailer didn't disappoint. We're introduced to the main character Judas and the eccentric cast of characters they'll have to form alliances with pretty quickly, and we then get a look at the creepy sci-fi setting and gameplay that's certainly reminiscent of BioShock. While this trailer doesn't reveal much more about the game, we can't wait to see what Ken Levin has in store for us with Judas.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor - Official Reveal Trailer
There's nothing else quite like a good Star Wars trailer, and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor's The Game Awards 2022 trailer hits all the right notes. It not only sets the stage for a story that will be a little more intense than Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order but introduces us to new characters like mercenary Bode Akuna and awesome gameplay mechanics like dual-wielding lightsabers, riding animals, and freezing time with the Force. Ending it on a March 17 release date confirmation also proved that this great-looking game is coming much sooner than viewers may have thought.
Death Stranding 2
DEATH STRANDING 2（Working Title）- TGA 2022 Teaser Trailer
Hideo Kojima is a master of releasing trailers that don't really tell players much about the game but still get the viewer very hyped. Most of the original Death Stranding's trailers were masterpieces, and Death Stranding 2's reveal trailer lives up to that quality. We see some cultists, then Lea Sedouyx playing with and then fleeing an attack with an actual baby. She fails, and we then flash to a corrupted BB tank, the game's logo, and then a conversation between her and Norman Reedus' Sam Porter Bridges. After the cast and credits of the trailer, we then get a look at Troy Baker's character, who seems to be the cultist villain of the game, as well as tentacles emerging in a BB tank. As always with new Kojima games, we're utterly intrigued.
Crime Boss: Rockay City
Crime Boss: Rockay City Announcement Trailer [ESRB 4K]
Crime Boss: Rockay City's reveal trailer was memorable because of how it unveiled this first-person heist game's star-studded cast. After a quick intro introducing us to Rockay City, we get looks at Michael Madsen as Travis Baker, Kim Basinger as Casey, Damion Poitier as Nasara, Danny Trejo as The Dragon, Danny Glover as Gloves, Michael Rooker as Touchdown, Vanilla Ice as Hielo, and Chuck Norris in this smoothly edited trailer. Crime Boss: Rockay City certainly leaves a strong first impression; let's see if the gameplay lives up to that.
Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon
ARMORED CORE VI FIRES OF RUBICON – Reveal Trailer
Following Geoff Keighley's introduction to this trailer, it seemed like this trailer was for a new FromSoftware game, but we couldn't be sure. The post-apocalyptic sci-fi landscapes don't look like anything the developer has made recently. Slowly, it becomes clear that it's a new Armored Core game as the game's tagline "Feed the fire. Let the last cinders burn" and PlatinumGames logo show up. The Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon announcement trailer climaxes with some awesome mecha action, getting us very hyped for FromSoftware's first project post-Elden Ring.

Gaming

Death Stranding sequel officially announced for PlayStation 5

DS2 Sam Porter Bridges

Kojima Productions officially announced the sequel to 2019's Death Stranding, under the working title DS2, during the Game Awards 2022 on Thursday. It will use Sony's proprietary Decima engine that powered Horizon Zero Dawn and Horizon Forbidden West.

The game's reveal trailer showed actress Lea Seydoux as Fragile, a character from the first game, holding a baby. As they are escaping, Fragile gets hit by a bullet, crashes her motorcycle, and drops the baby.