From epic films to video game avatar: SS Rajamouli levels up
The filmmaker and his son Karthikeya feature as characters in Hideo Kojima's highly anticipated sci-fi game, Death Stranding 2.
Known for building immersive cinematic worlds, SS Rajamouli has now entered one crafted by someone else.
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The RRR filmmaker has made his digital debut as a video game character in Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, an upcoming action-adventure video game, developed by celebrated Japanese game designer Hideo Kojima.
This is the first time a Telugu filmmaker is featured in an international video game, adding another notable first to Rajamouli's already illustrious career. Rajamouli appears as a character titled The Adventurer, while Karthikeya plays The Adventurer's Son.
Their roles were first spotted by early-access players, generating buzz across both the gaming and film communities.
Kojima had hinted at the collaboration in April by posting a photo with the duo on social media. Their association dates back to 2022, when Rajamouli met Kojima in Japan during the promotional tour of RRR. Interestingly, this isn't Rajamouli's first brush with gaming. His blockbuster fantasy epic
was earlier adapted into a mobile strategy game titled Baahubali: The Game, but this is the first time he is stepping into the virtual world as a character himself.
Inside the gaming universe that drew Rajamouli in
Death Stranding is a surreal action-adventure franchise created by renowned Japanese game designer Hideo Kojima, best known for the Metal Gear Solid series. Set in a post-apocalyptic America, the game follows a lone courier tasked with reconnecting isolated communities after a mysterious cataclysmic event known as the 'Death Stranding.' Blending cinematic storytelling with gameplay, the franchise is known for its atmospheric world-building and philosophical themes.
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The upcoming instalment, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, features actors Norman Reedus, Elle Fanning, and Léa Seydoux in lead roles. Kojima, widely regarded as one of the most visionary figures in gaming, has also created titles like Snatcher and Zone of the Enders. In 2014, he was honoured by UNESCO's Bradford City of Film with an award for Cinematography in Video Games, in recognition of his pioneering narrative approach.
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