STREGA: Bueno’s ‘Gun Caliber’ Sequel Wraps Principal Photography
It’s been nearly a decade into the filmmaking journey that brought fans the release of tokusatsu cult hit, Gun Caliber. Since then, maverick director Bueno has been hard at work maintaining content for the toku crowd through his independent film portal on YouTube, Garage Hero, while also developing, and just shy of three years ago, rolling cameras for the Gun Caliber sequel, Strega, which, for all intents and purposes will hopefully spur a 2019 release.
Bueno stirred the pot quite a bit in 2014 with Gun Caliber, introducing the world of suit hero fandom to a noticeably more R-rated protagonist akin to the likes of Deadpool compared to other mainstream Japanese suit action heroes. The actor and film-multihyphenate starred in the title role as well, portraying Soma Kusanagi, a miserable Smartball Parlor employee who transforms into the titular gun-toting, dick-shooting, sex-crazed, alcoholic and often derilect superhero who “loves his bullets fast and his women faster”.
Distribution for the film was slow to take and was essentially given a limited webseries release prior to eventually handing the reigns over to indie speciality banner SRS Cinema. Following up with Strega, designed with a much sleeker look for its costume, was no easier feat either, with partial crowdfunding to aid certain costs next to a budget of $40,000, a core crew of anywhere from two to four people next to eight staff members and a little more than two-dozen extras – a challenge, no less…but a challenge met full-on as Bueno took to social media on Monday to announce wrap of principal photography.
Today
It’s been a long 2 and a half years, but its FINALLY A WRAP ON STREGA!
Over the past 8 years since I first shot Gun Caliber, I’ve pooled all of my gathered resources together to create this sequel and I’m glad to say that it will be worth the wait.
As we plunge into the depths of Post Production hell, my team and I will keep fighting till the end to bring you one of the most entertaining tokusatsu-action-sex-comedies that you’ll have ever seen.
In 2019, keep your panties on ladies. Cause Strega’s coming for ya.
And now, plot deets:
In the year 20XX, Japan has regulated superheroes and its society in general with a new ID system called the “Vector Card”. But when a boisterous Vector Card hacker threatens to turn all the citizens of Tokyo into monsters, it is up to a blue collar superhero named Strega (formerly, the superhero Gun Caliber) to utilize the abilities of the Vector Cards and save the day… ..but only after he gets really drunk and laid.
Bueno is joined by Megumi Takarae, Mai Miori, Haruna Ayane, Alice Shiina, Amita Hachidori, Hideki Oka, Sakurako Fujiwarara, and Keisaku Kimura. The production rolled out a new version of its most recent Strega poster a few days ago which you can view below.
Native New Yorker. Been writing for a long time now, and I enjoy what I do. Be nice to me!