2026 marks a new milestone for Shane Kosugi. From sharing film sets with fellow action stewards, legendary father Sho Kosugi and brother Kane Kosugi, directing a feature wasn’t something I think I’d see Shane doing during my time covering action on film. For that matter, neither did Shane, who after starring in several films with his family prioritized school and sports activities long before ever deciding to take the mantle in the director’s chair.
This week, Shane says as much and a lot more in our first interview since getting underway with『四十九-SEEK』, an enticing new action adventure that’s been making its way across the world at festivals, and based on a concept he crafted with actor Kansuke Asano who stars in the lead role. It’s a film that bolster with excitement for fans of the ninja subgenre with a story that follows Asano as a widower whose latest assignment with the covert ninja agency he works for finds him coming to terms with a millieu of secrets and lies as an explosive new weapon circulates the underworld.
The film also introduces Kane, best known for his exploits in genre faves like Muscle Heat, Ninja: Shadow Of A Tear, Bang, and more recently in Koichi Sakamoto’s Shogun’s Ninja. Here, Kane takes on the role of the a core villain, a vengeful crimeboss with lateral ideations on acquiring the weapon himself. Rounding out the cast is actress Nahana who leads the organization our hero works for, and Yasuaki Ishii who also stands integral in the film’s action design.
Our own Mike Garcia and I posted our own reviews of the film since it screened for TACFEST last year. In addition, you’ll find recent exclusive coverage of two exclusive clips in this link as well while the film makes its way for a Japan release this weekend from Key Holder Pictures. A release date for『四十九-SEEK』outside the region remains pending, as does a release date for the film’s incumbent sequel.
Enjoy this latest interview:
Thank you so much for sitting down for my questions Shane. It really means a lot, especially now that you’ve directed two films and you’re currently working on promoting the first one which scored dozens of awards at festivals in the past year. How is 2026 treating you so far?
First of all, thank you for making the time to interview me! 2026 has been a really exciting year so far for me. I finally get to release my 1st action feature film, 四十九 – SEEK, in theaters all over Japan on July 31, 2026. After that I hope to put it on streaming services in Japan maybe at the end of the year.
I’m so happy and can’t tell you how much I appreciate everyone who is involved, all their hard work and all the people supporting me and my team. I’ve always said from the very start when I made my short film to my 2nd action feature, making a film is a collaborative effort and it’s not only the director. The director leads but he/she needs all the necessary pieces to create something spectacular and memorable.
Also, great news is that we are planning to release my 2nd action feature film “SEEK II” in theaters all over Japan around spring of 2027! So lots of things to prepare and do before that as well. Plus, I hope to work on some other projects in between the promotion of both movies if possible…
Simply put, what were some film or television favorites that you’ve enjoyed growing up or perhaps still enjoy to this day?
Well, I grew up in a martial arts household and we were basically brought up watching all sorts of action movies from around the world. However, we were some what normal where our dad did take us to watch mainstream movies as well like “Star Wars”, “Rocky”, “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” and so on. I have to be honest, I think I watched so many movies to even remember. But when I was in college, that’s when I really got into watching movies and TV dramas, and tried to study everything from a filmmaker’s perspective. I think that is what drew me more into films and the hunger to learn as much as I could about everything involved with filmmaking and production.
I wanted to just spotlight a period for my readers between your years as a child actor working alongside your family, and then leading up to your return to acting in The Last Samurai, and this is me solely going by what I see on IMDb. You’re welcome to fill in the blanks for me, but judging by that info – at the time – what inspired you to come back to the film set so many years after appearing in films like Pray For Death and Black Eagle?
That is a great question. After Black Eagle, my father gave both me and my brother the choice to make our own decision…whether to continue making movies or to focus on other things. My brother followed his dream of continuing in the film industry and after high school moved to Japan to further his career. I, on the other hand, chose to focus on sports and school. So I played football, basketball and ran track and field all throughout high school, and played recreation sports like football and basketball in college. However, during college I wanted to expand my language ability in Japanese and my cultural knowledge of Japan and martial arts. So I decided to move to Japan, where I found my love for martial arts, action and film again.
Nowadays you’re in the director’s chair, and I gotta tell you Shane: out of all the filmmakers I expected to emerge on my radar, you were a complete surprise to me. I would imagine this extends to a lot of action fans who are familiar with your family and your work. Did you always intend to take up directing?
(Courtesy of Shane Kosugi)
No, it was a complete surprise to me too! I have always been in front of the camera, but over the years I have found a true love and interest in everything behind the camera. From editing, camera equipment and camera work, producing, action direction, et cetera…So when Kansuke Asano, the star of SEEK, asked me to direct the short film. I said why not, not thinking that much about it because I could envision how I would edit it in the end anyways. But it’s a blessing…to be given this chance and responsibility.
Every time I step in the directors chair, I learn so much from all the actors and crew. The learning curve is out of this world! It is a tough and stressful job, but I love going on set every day and finding that spectacular scene, that amazing action cut, that outstanding acting performance…It is a pleasure and an honor to be in that seat but in the end, it’s a team effort! I can’t make a great action film without a great team, that is why I’m blessed!
I would also imagine bringing ninja film fandom back would carry some weight for you, especially for a concept like Seek to come to fruition. Tell us how you came up with the idea, the influences, and what it took to evolve it from a proof-of-concept to a fully-fledged feature.
Yes and No. Of course, my father’s name and legacy brings about a lot of expectations and weight to it but I am my own person. I know I can bring a different and unique look to the Ninja mystic and legacy. I would like to see the Ninja more like a high budget Hollywood movie meshed with a Japanese anime look, with great action sequences and great acting! I love movies like “Heat”, “The Dark Knight”, “Skyfall” and so on. I want my movies to be multi-dimensional with depth and great action!
You have an amazing roster of actors carrying this film, including Kansuke-san who plays the lead role, Kyohei, and even your action director, Yasuaki Ishii who is something of a mystery character. Talk about how you went about casting for these roles and others.
I’ve known Kansuke Asano for more than twenty-five years now. He actually went to my father’s action school in Nagoya, and was one of our first students. So saying that, I’ve seen his action evolve over the years and know what his strong points are. We have a connection and good communication where we know what each other wants at that time, so it’s easier and less stress!
With Yasuaki Ishii, I’ve known him for more than ten years now. We were introduced through Kansuke. I think people who know and do action have their own way of communicating and language. So it was easy to communicate and work with Yasuaki. However, I wanted him to express his ideas and vision for our action scenes while still giving positive feedback and ideas that will also work outside of Japan. I believe that is the key to making anything good…using everyone’s strong points and pulling together to make something even better than imagined! Movies are all about teamwork!
Talk about working with Ishii to put these action sequences together. They are arguably some of the best I and I think a lot of us who screened the film have seen in the ninja subgenre, and the sequence that kicks off in the final half hour is just bliss!
First of all, thank you! That means a lot to us and all the hard work that Ishii and his fight coordinator, Yugo Fujii, put into the action sequences as well as Kansuke and all the other cast and stuntmen involved! We wanted to push the limits of the action and show the world how great action in Japan is!
As you know, all great action movies have an action climax at the end to make it memorable and to show the audience something that will take their breath away…so I wanted to make the last thirty minutes non-stop and amazing but make time fly! I hope that the audience enjoys it.
This is also your first time directing your brother Kane who has come up the same route as you, and who also did some V-Cinema and later appeared in films like Muscle Heat with Ken Lo before crossing over into Hollywood, and nowadays he’s playing villains! Talk about working with your brother after all these years on your seminal ninja feature.
(Courtesy of Shane Kosugi)
First and foremost, my brother is one of my favorite actors and one of the most talented action stars in the world! It was an honor and a pure dream to be able to work with someone of his talents and experience. He knew what I wanted before I even had to ask him and he gave me so many useful and great ideas during the shooting as well! I hope that I can work with him much much more in the future!
Now there have been plenty of ninja films since the Cannon days from directors like Ten Shimoyama, James McTeigue and Isaac Florentine, and even Koichi Sakamoto of late. That’s primarily not as many ninja films as with years before, so Seek – in my view – definitely has a sort of rebirth air around it for ninja movies. I am curious though, with your background and name popularity, was there any added pressure for you during production?
Not at all. I have been blessed with such a wonderful upbringing and to have a name and a legacy can only be a plus! I want to add a different element to the “Kosugi” name brand by expanding it into different elements and bringing a new visual perspective. If possible, I want to expand the “Ninja” or “Samurai” elements globally and collaborate with other filmmakers or creators around the world to keep the quality and Japanese image genuine!
As a fellow action film fan with a resumé like yours, and who is now well on their way to a commercial feature release, what are some of the most important lessons you’ve taken with you on the creative and business end of things as a filmmaker in today’s market?
I still have a long road ahead of me and a lot of things to learn. But, in a world like today where technology can help you and make things cheaper while maintaining high quality, and with the internet bringing countries together and more accessible, it is a plus. However, without the physical elements of the movie box office and DVD sales it is harder to recoup your money even with all the streaming platforms out there in the world today. It is a challenge, but as filmmakers there is always a market for our movies as long as we can create appealing content and stories that interest people out there.
Are there any plans to act in more roles going forward? What’s in store for Shane Kosugi on screen after Prisoner Of War?
That was a great honor to be able to join that cast, crew and amazing film even though it was a split second on screen. I’m always open to working with other filmmakers or creators to not only be in front of the camera but behind! I love being on film sets, small or big, and learning from other wonderful actors and filmmakers…so that I can bring that knowledge and experience to make my films and projects even better! Opportunity leads to experience, experience leads to knowledge.
I know there are procedural caveats in PR for Japanese films so I’m apprehensive to ask any more questions after you’ve just wrapped a sequel to Seek. That said, as we make our exit from this interview, what can fans expect from this new fantasy world of ninja and espionage?
I hope to continue to build and grow the Ninja espionage action genre in Japan as well as globally. I hope to make more sequels, and to make SEEK into a global franchise like John Wick or Kenji Tanigaki’s The Furious, and I hope to make different appealing Ninja or Samurai films in the future… To keep making action films! But SEEK II is coming out in the first half of 2027 so please look out for it!
