Latest news with #KJP
News18
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- News18
S.S. Rajamouli Joins Hideo Kojima's Death Stranding 2: ‘A Magical Experience'.
S.S. Rajamouli features in Hideo Kojima's Death Stranding 2 after being scanned during his Japan visit. A rare India-Japan crossover in gaming and film. S.S. Rajamouli, the visionary director behind cinematic blockbusters like Baahubali and RRR, is now making headlines not just for his films but for a surprising cameo in one of Japan's most anticipated video games—Death Stranding 2: On the Beach. The game, helmed by legendary game creator Hideo Kojima, is known for pushing the boundaries of storytelling in interactive media. Rajamouli's presence in the game marks a unique cultural crossover between Indian cinema and global gaming. During a promotional visit to Japan for RRR, Rajamouli met Kojima, who scanned the filmmaker to potentially create a digital character for the game. Kojima later confirmed this via a social media post, writing, 'Director S.S. Rajamouli visited KJP!!! We have scanned him. RRR🔥🔥🔥🚀🚀🚀👍🐯" The post was accompanied by behind-the-scenes photos of Rajamouli being scanned inside Kojima Productions. Director S.S. Rajamouli visited KJP!!! We have scanned him. RRR🔥🔥🔥🚀🚀🚀👍🐯 — HIDEO_KOJIMA (@HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN) October 20, 2022 Reflecting on the experience, Rajamouli shared, 'When we were in Japan for RRR promotions, I visited Kojima-san's office. He scanned me there, and honestly, I had no idea how or where he'd use it. I just sensed something magical was in the making. To now see myself featured in Death Stranding 2 is a true honour. Kojima-san is a visionary, and I'm humbled to be even a small part of his extraordinary world." Rajamouli's inclusion in the game highlights the growing bond between Indian and Japanese entertainment cultures. His film RRR achieved monumental success in India and was warmly embraced by Japanese audiences as well. The film was later released in Japan on physical formats, including Ultra HD Blu-ray and standard Blu-ray, further cementing Rajamouli's popularity in the country. As Death Stranding 2 continues to build anticipation among gamers worldwide, Rajamouli's cameo adds an unexpected layer of intrigue and excitement. Whether through cinema or virtual worlds, Rajamouli continues to expand his creative influence globally, proving once again that storytelling transcends mediums. First Published: July 12, 2025, 21:21 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
India.com
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- India.com
S.S. Rajamouli Makes Japanese Gaming Debut With Cameo In Hideo Kojima's Death Stranding 2: On The Beach
New Delhi: Renowned Indian filmmaker S.S. Rajamouli, best known for his epic cinematic spectacles Baahubali and RRR, is now stepping into an entirely new frontier — video games. The celebrated director has revealed that he will make a cameo appearance in one of the most anticipated Japanese games, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, helmed by legendary game creator Hideo Kojima. Rajamouli's involvement in the game was confirmed after Kojima posted on social media about scanning the director during his visit to Japan. The two creatives met while Rajamouli was promoting RRR in Japan, a film that saw massive success both in India and abroad, including a strong reception in Japan with physical media releases on Ultra HD Blu-ray and Blu-ray. Sharing his experience, Rajamouli said, 'When we were in Japan for RRR promotions, I visited Kojima-san's office. He scanned me there, and honestly, I had no idea how or where he'd use it. I just sensed something magical was in the making.' Now, with the release of the game drawing closer, Rajamouli has expressed his excitement over being part of the project. 'To now see myself featured in Death Stranding 2 is a true honour. Kojima-san is a visionary, and I'm humbled to be even a small part of his extraordinary world,' he added. Hideo Kojima, the mastermind behind Death Stranding, Metal Gear Solid, and other genre-defining titles, shared behind-the-scenes photos from the scanning session on X (formerly Twitter), writing, 'Director S.S. Rajamouli visited KJP!!! We have scanned him. RRR ' Director S.S. Rajamouli visited KJP!!! We have scanned him. RRR — HIDEO_KOJIMA (@HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN) October 20, 2022 Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is a sequel to the acclaimed 2019 game Death Stranding and is known for its complex narrative, emotional depth, and striking visuals. With Rajamouli's cameo, the game also marks a cultural crossover moment — uniting the worlds of Indian cinema and Japanese gaming. As Rajamouli continues to break boundaries and surprise audiences, his entry into the gaming universe only reaffirms his ever-expanding creative reach.
New Indian Express
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
SS Rajamouli features in Hideo Kojima's upcoming game ‘Death Stranding 2' after surprise visit to Japan
MUMBAI: Filmmaker S S Rajamouli has forayed into the world of gaming with a cameo in Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, the highly anticipated title from acclaimed Japanese video game creator Hideo Kojima. The director, best known for mega-blockbusters like the Baahubali franchise and RRR, revealed that his likeness was scanned for the game during a visit to Japan to promote his last directorial RRR in 2022. Kojima later confirmed the cameo through a social media post, sharing behind-the-scenes images of Rajamouli's visit to Kojima Productions. 'Director S S Rajamouli visited KJP!!! We have scanned him. RRR,' Kojima posted on X (formerly Twitter). Rajamouli said he was unaware of how the scan would be used, but was excited to see the final result. 'When we were in Japan for RRR promotions, I visited Kojima-san's office. He scanned me there, and honestly, I had no idea how or where he'd use it,' the filmmaker said in a statement. 'I just sensed something magical was in the making. To now see myself featured in Death Stranding 2 is a true honour. Kojima-san is a visionary, and I'm humbled to be even a small part of his extraordinary world,' he added. Rajamouli's RRR, a period action drama starring Ram Charan and Jr NTR, enjoyed remarkable success in Japan, receiving widespread acclaim from audiences and critics alike. Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, slated for release worldwide later this year, is the sequel to the 2019 video game Death Stranding, and is expected to feature an ensemble of global talent. Kojima is celebrated for his genre-defining work on titles like Metal Gear, Snatcher, and Zone of the Enders. Death Stranding 2: On the Beach will feature returning cast members Norman Reedus, Léa Seydoux, and Troy Baker, with new additions like Elle Fanning and George Miller joining the universe. The game follows Sam Porter Bridges in a post-apocalyptic Australia, where he and his team must reconnect isolated communities through a communication network in an effort to save humanity.
Fox News
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
DAN GAINOR: The good, the bad, and the absurd: June's wildest political moments and celebrity meltdowns
June was a wild month. We had the good June – June Lockhart of "Lassie" and "Petticoat Junction" turning 100 (Salute!). Then, there was the bad June – riots in LA, military action in Iran and a socialist winning the Democratic mayoral primary in New York, New York (no longer my kind of town). The "mostly peaceful" riots featured the now-famous quote about "people having fun watching cars burn." And the action in Iran had its own special moments discussed below. Thankfully, it all ended peacefully, unless you live in NYC. With the month concluding on a hot note weatherwise, just before July arrived. 1. With friends like these: CNN's "OutFront" host Erin Burnett was out in left field about her time in Iran. The mullahs who run Iran have caused the deaths of hundreds of Americans, including over 600 U.S. servicemen killed by Iranian-backed militias in Iraq. Burnett still scored with the second stupidest quote of the month: "I remember at one point being in Tehran years ago, and they're chanting 'Death to America' all around me, even as I say, 'Oh, I'm an American, reporting for CNN.' And they were happy to speak to me. So those two sort of jarring realities of the chant and yet, the friendliness, have existed together." Somehow, that doesn't sound all that "friendly" to most Americans. 2. Democrat no more: Former Biden White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre declared she wasn't a Democrat anymore. Based on her many lies and misstatements at the White House, perhaps, KJP is going to create a modern version of the No Nothing Party. Her comments were in pursuit of publicity for her upcoming book, "Independent: A Look Inside a Broken White House, Outside the Party Lines." Her decision to become "independent" was bashed by both left and right. Maybe the big bipartisan moment in America right now is making fun of former Biden staffers. 3. Go West?: Former seventh-tier presidential candidate and general gadfly Cornel West still shows up in television segments on CNN – this June on "CNN NewsNight with Abby Phillip." That's the same network that called him, "the eccentric professor," when he resigned from Harvard over a tenure dispute. He took his eccentricity to CNN to blast the United States for using nuclear weapons on Japan in World War II, even though that ended the war. But how he did it was … special. West complained that it was "not a high moral moment" for "those of us to go all the way back to the United States to kill 250 million people in two days in Hiroshima and Nagasaki." No one corrected him, they just moved on. The look from conservative contributor Scott Jennings that followed was priceless. (For the record, the word the professor wanted was, "thousand" not "million." Oops.) 4. On the run: Maybe I love this story because it's almost local. A pet zebra escaped and went on runabout (the Australian walkabout but faster) in Tennessee, dominating the news for over a week because he wasn't easy to catch and, zebras are cute. "Ed" the Zebra broke free and ran down I-24 at one point, causing the road to be closed. Even then, he slipped away, eventually being rounded up and helicoptered back home in a net, taking in the sights above the beautiful mountains of the Volunteer state. Ed might have been chasing his glory like the zebra in the movie, "Racing Stripes." (That cast shockingly included Hayden Panettiere and voices of Jeff Foxworthy, Steve Harvey and Snoop Dog. Everybody has a mortgage to pay.) 5. Alternative media: Billionaire Mark Cuban criticized life in the liberal social media Fortress of Solitude, saying it isn't all it's cracked up to be. Cuban said Bluesky, which was created to be a lefty alternative to Twitter/X, is toxic and "hateful." He used the platform to criticize … the platform: "Even if you agree with 95% of what a person is saying on a topic, if there is one point that you might call out as being more of a gray area, they will call you a fascist etc." This isn't especially a surprise to conservatives who saw how the left managed every other platform from Twitter to YouTube, censoring content like it was the old Soviet Union or the Biden White House. Cuban also made news this month claiming the Kamala Harris campaign considered him as a possible vice president. The "Shark Tank" star wisely admitted one reason he declined was, "I'm not very good as the No. 2 person." Like him or not, he would outshine Harris on his worst day. You don't get to be a shark by being easygoing. 6. Millionaires vs. billionaires: Every month, it's just a question of which Hollywood actor/actress will say the stupidest thing. It's quite a contest. This month, it's "Avengers" star Mark Ruffalo. The Incredibly Hulky One went to a "No Kings" protest to complain about … rich folks and "White people." Now, while Ruffalo appears to represent both groups, he's also a true believer of lefty garbage. So, at least he's consistent. He told a lefty activist group, "We get to see who is really making our lives unbearable and making us so desperate. It's not the immigrants, it's the billionaires." Not the millionaires, just the folks with the "B." Why? Because Ruffalo has around $90 million himself, if Celebrity Networth is accurate. That's a lot closer to billionaire than me and most people reading this. Most of us just have the "air" part. 7. 'Tinfoil hat moment': Remember supposed comedian Kathy Griffin (she held the fake, bloody head of The Donald back in 2017) and former CNN host Don Lemon? Yeah, most people don't either. But they're still around and discussing 2024 election denial on "The Don Lemon Show" podcast, because it's OK when they do it. Griffin claimed, "I do not think he won in a free and fair election. How do you like that, lefties? Yeah, I said it. I'm Kathy Griffin, and I do not think Trump won in a free and fair election." Lemon was on her side in a tepid way, "You're not far off. I won't say that I disagree with you, but, you know, I'm an evidence person. I like to see the evidence." We could deny that Griffin is funny. At least we have evidence for that.
The Hindu
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
SS Rajamouli and son make surprise cameo in Hideo Kojima's ‘Death Stranding 2: On the Beach'
Indian filmmaker SS Rajamouli and his son SS Karthikeya have made surprise appearances in the upcoming video game Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, developed by renowned Japanese creator Hideo Kojima. The highly anticipated sequel is set to release worldwide on June 26, 2025, for PlayStation 5. Fans who received early access to the game ahead of launch spotted Rajamouli and Karthikeya in cameo roles. Rajamouli is featured as 'The Adventurer,' while Karthikeya appears as 'The Adventurer's Son.' The collaboration between Rajamouli and Kojima has been developing for some time. Their first meeting occurred during Rajamouli's visit to Japan in 2022 to promote RRR. The filmmaker toured Kojima Productions and experienced its advanced 360-degree production setup. Director S.S. Rajamouli visited KJP!!! We have scanned him. RRR🔥🔥🔥🚀🚀🚀👍🐯 — HIDEO_KOJIMA (@HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN) October 20, 2022 Since then, the two creatives have stayed in touch, with Kojima sharing a virtual meeting photo with Rajamouli and Karthikeya in April this year. 'Beyond excited for this,' Karthikeya wrote while resharing the image on social media. Beyond excited for this ❤️ — S S Karthikeya (@ssk1122) April 30, 2025 Hideo Kojima, celebrated for his genre-defining work on titles like Metal Gear, Snatcher, and Zone of the Enders, is known for pushing the boundaries of narrative and visual design in gaming. Death Stranding 2: On the Beach seems to continue that tradition, serving as a sequel to the 2019 hit Death Stranding. Returning cast members include Norman Reedus, Léa Seydoux, and Troy Baker, with new additions like Elle Fanning and George Miller joining the universe. The game follows Sam Porter Bridges in a post-apocalyptic Australia, where he and his team must reconnect isolated communities through a communication network in an effort to save humanity. In a sign of Kojima's expanding creative reach, a live-action adaptation of Death Stranding is also in the works, directed by Michael Sarnoski (A Quiet Place: Day One) and produced by A24 and Kojima Productions. Kojima is also expanding the Death Stranding universe with a planned anime adaptation, while simultaneously developing Physint for PlayStation and OD for Xbox.
