GHOST KILLER: Win A Blu-Ray Or 4K UHD Copy Of Well Go USA’s Latest Hit Action Thriller
The film arrives next week on DVD, Blu-Ray, and 4K UHD!
kensuke sonomura
GHOST KILLER Scares Up A Killer New Teaser For Kensuke Sonomura’s Latest!
Back to remind us of how cool Akari Takaishi and Masanori Mimoto are is the latest official teaser for supernatural action thriller, Ghost Killer. This one goes a little bit beyond for me in terms of my adoration for the film’s director, Kensuke Sonomura whose work quickly gained traction here in the states upon the release of his feature debut, Hydra, in 2019. Imaginably, if you’re curious about Sonomura’s back catalog of stunt work, there should be plenty to dive into. I can’t remember the last time I saw Yuichi Mori’s animated spectacle, Tekken: Bloodline, which Sonomura did the action for. I loved it then, and of course there’s Mamoru Oshii’s Nowhere Girl, Sabu’s crime comedy Hold Up Down, and Kenta Fukasaku’s Black Rat to name a few, and of course, Yugo Sakamoto’s Baby Assassins franchise. Alas, Takaishi, Mimoto, and Sonomura are additionally joined on Ghost Killer by Sakamoto who penned […]
Fantastic Fest XIX Review: Kensuke Sonomura’s GHOST KILLER Scares Up A Killer Thriller With Supernatural Delight
Ideally, if you follow a certain filmmaker favorite long enough, the possibilities grow even more fascinating in terms of tangential topical discourse. For starters, I’ve seen the action fandom opine over the connectivity of Jesse V. Johnson’s films, and chatter over what Jason Statham’s cameo in Michael Mann’s Collateral could mean. Even Hasbro is on the verge of finally coalescing two of its hit properties since Steven Caple Jr.’s Transformers entry last year. By extension, I imagine a world nowadays where discussions could – if not already – begin materializing on the kind of tapestrial coherence of the burgeoning directorial work of action specialist, Kensuke Sonomura. Immediately with 2019’s Hydra and 2022’s Bad City, Sonomura proved his vigor and value as a cinematic storyteller capable of putting together quality action cinema marketable to audiences worldwide. In doing so, he’s introduced fans to a colloquial cinematic world all his own – […]
GHOST KILLER Haunts With A First Teaser For Kensuke Sonomura’s Festival Latest!
Leave it to a surprise in my DMs to find out that Kensuke Sonomura has been keeping more than busy aside from his dealings over in Bad City and with the Baby Assassins franchise and Kenji Tanigaki’s upcoming The Furious. Monday morning over in Japan saw the first teaser trailer revealed for Ghost Killer, something I only wish I knew about sooner with this also being the latest co-production between Well Go USA Entertainment and Rights Cube. What?! Now how’s that for a partnership? What’s more is that Sonomura’s Ghost Killer marks the latest graduating lead role for actress Akari Takaishi who takes the reins alongside actor Masanori Mimoto who continues to be a fixture in Sonomura’s work since 2019’s Hydra. And, Baby Assassins franchise helmer Yugo Sakamoto is the man with the pen for the film’s script with Sonomura shepherding the winning action direction, and with a World Premiere […]
BABY ASSASSINS Is Getting A Killer Dozen Episodes For TV Tokyo Later This Year
A twelve-episode series is in order at TV Tokyo for a continuation of the Baby Assassins franchise. Actors Akari Takaishi and Saori Izawa will reprise their roles as portrayed in the current films from writer/director Yugo Sakamoto. The announcement comes off the heels of the teaser for the third and latest feature installment, Baby Assassins: Nice Days, which arrives on September 27 in Japan. According to the film’s official website, the series will broadcast in the weeks leading up to the film’s release. In addition to Sakamoto, who is penning and directing the show, action director Kensuke Sonomura (Hydra, Bad City) will set the stage for the show’s action sequences. Plot details remain under wraps, as does the show’s broadcast plans outside Japan. 2021’s Baby Assassins became a mid-pandemic hit, following the killer exploits of two highly-skilled assassins, high school girls, Chisato, and Mahiro. Their resolve is tested upon gradutation when […]
BABY ASSASSINS 3 Goes Surpisingly Dark In Its First Teaser Trailer!
If you’re an action cinema fan and you haven’t been living under a rock for the last few years, you’ve probably heard of the Baby Assassins films. Currently one of Japan’s finest exports, the series has balanced quirky comedy with slick fight choreography (courtesy of one of the best in the industry right now, Kensuke Sonomura), which is why action junkies were shocked when the teaser for BABY ASSASSINS 3 dropped. There looks to be a distinct lack of their trademark comedy this time around. It feels much darker in tone and dare I say that the film might have more action? Check out the teaser and the first poster below. Yugo Sakamoto returns to the director’s chair and, of course, Saori Izawa and Akari Takaishi return as the titular assassins. Baby Assassins 2 is currently out on Blu-Ray in the US courtest of WellGo USA and hits their HI-YAH! […]
BAD CITY Takes Over The U.S. This August From Well Go USA. Catch The Trailer!
The official trailer and keyart have finally arrived for Kensuke Sonomura‘s latest pulse-pounding thriller, Bad City, following its acquisition by the company last year. The film stars V-Cinema screen legend Hitoshi Ozawa who wears hats on both sides of the lens, including starring in the film to celebrate his 60th birthday last year. Sonomura directed the film from his own script, succeeding his 2019 assassin thriller debut, Hydra, also a Well Go USA release. Bad City also stars Lily Franky, Hideto Katsuya, Akane Sakanoue and Masanori Mimoto, along with Mitsu Dan, Yoshiyuki Yamaguchi, Masaya Kato, Tak Sakaguchi, Rino Katase, Kazuki Namioka, Taro Suwa and Arisa Matsunaga. Long plagued by poverty and crime, Kaiko City has been torn apart by rampant corruption and growing violence between the local Yakuza faction and a notorious Korean crime boss. But when a mafia-connected businessman runs for mayor and begins systematically eliminating his opponents, a […]
BAD CITY Unravels In The Official UK Trailer
UK-based 101 Films is proudly taking the mantle for Kensuke Sonomura’s new crime thriller, Bad City. Starring Hitoshi Ozawa, Lily Franky and Yoshiyuki Yamaguchi, Sonomura directs from his own script in his second feature offering since breaking out in 2019 with assassin thriller, Hydra. Ozawa plays a grisled ex-cop furloughed by a tenacious prosecutor, who reunites with his former unit and a rookie cop to take down an evil corporate magnate with political aspirations and crooked ties. The film also stars Hideto Katsuya, Rino Katase, Masanori Mimoto, Akane Sakanoue, Mitsu Dan and Tak Sakaguchi, and many more for the film’s UK release on Digital from March 9.
BABY ASSASSINS 2 Gets A Teaser For Its Spring Release!
The past few years have been two of Hugo Sakamoto’s best, with at least two of his films getting recognition in the U.S. along with distribution deals for A Janitor and the smash hit, Baby Assassins. The latter was especially the latest mile marker for action fans heavily glaring at their radar for titles to look out for and featuring stand-out performances by Akari Takaishi and Saori Izawa, and now the team behind the pic, which also has action director Kensuke Sonomura back on the floor, is officially confirming its sequel with a first look teaser, and a pair of posters all announcing its March 24, 2023 release. Check out all the assets below and stick around as we await more into the new year!
Take A Brutal Trip Through BAD CITY In The Newest Trailer
The long and patient road grows ever closer to its end with the newest trailer above to signal the forthcoming release of crime thriller Bad City, the sophomore feature from Hydra director, stunt multi-hyphenate and filmmaker Kensuke Sonomura. Tickets are currently on sale for advance screenings at select locations in Japan according to Comic Natalie, with the film’s nationwide release in Japan on January 20, 2023. Bad City marks the latest pairing between Sonomura and V-Cinema legend Hitoshi Ozawa (Shoot, My Darlin’, Score, High & Low: The Worst) who shot the film to celebrate his 60th birthday. Ozawa, credited as OZAWA in the film, also penned and executive produced the film in addition to opting to perform all his stunts, as noted by Sonomura in my interview with him back in September. Ozawa plays tough, grisled ex-cop Torada, who gets furloughed by the crime-plagued Kaiko City’s beleaguered top prosecutor to […]
BAD CITY: Well Go USA Acquires ‘Hydra’ Director’s Latest Crime Thriller For Q4 2022 Release
It may have seemed pretty likely at some point that anything stunt multi-hyphenate and filmmaker Kensuke Sonomura did would immediately be welcome by North American distributor Well Go USA, given the reception for his 2019 feature debut, Hydra. Fast forward to this week’s launch of the 17th installment of Fantastic Fest, where attendees can finally catch what Sonomura had been up to last year with the production of his sophomore debut, Bad City. Neuchâtel premiered the pic earlier this summer while slowly rolling out its promotional campaign, and now, with a trio of screenings at Fantastic set from this Saturday through the 28th, trade news on Friday is making it official with Well Go USA’s acquisition of the Yakuza crime thriller as a Hi-YAH! Original release, followed by theatrical and wider VOD releases later this year. I can assure you there’s plenty to dive into this year at Fantastic Fest, […]
“WE BUILT THIS CITY…”: A Word With ‘BAD CITY’ Director, Action Stylist And Filmmaker Kensuke Sonomura
November 2019 was like catching lightning in a bottle for me, personally. For as long as I’d been a fan of cult Japanese action cinema, I never thought I would get the chance to share space at a diner in New York City with a few of today’s best stunt professionals, namely burgeoning filmmaker Kensuke Sonomura who comes freshly out of U’den Flame Works, the prominently-owned Tokyo-based stunt and action wheelhouse headed-up by stunt maestro, Yuji Shimomura. For that matter, it’s also a welcome feat that I finally get to share a formal interview with Sonomura for the first time, as our latest dialogue comes on the precipice of a new campaign currently circulating the global festival scene to promote Bad City, his sophomore follow-up to freshman action thriller, Hydra. Bad City pairs Sonomura for the first time with V-Cinema veteran, legendary actor Hitoshi Ozawa who wears several hats on […]
BAD CITY Review: A Taut, Thrilling Yakuza Crime Procedural Signals Kensuke Sonomura’s Best Film Yet
Stunt and action multi-hyphenate and filmmaker, Kensuke Sonomura, came down the straightaway and into global festival circuitry earlier this summer, lending first eyes to audiences at Neuchâtel earlier this year for his newest crime pic, Bad City. Signing off on Sonomura’s second feature action film following 2019’s pulsating assassin thriller, Hydra, is renowned actor Hitoshi Ozawa, whose favor with moviegoers extends as far back as the early 1990s with the birth of the V-Cinema era. Ozawa (credited as OZAWA accordingly) also gets top billing here as writer and executive producer on the new film, which also weighs heavily with a cast of notable actors, including a few fan favorites. To that end, Sonomura smartly foregoes some of the visual martial arts stylings as seen in Hydra, constructing action sequences that are much more grittier to suit Ozawa’s screen caliber, albeit peppered with equally impressive stunt coordination and fight choreography throughout […]
BAD CITY: The Official Poster Arrives Along With The Latest Trailer For Kensuke Sonomura’s New Action Crime Thriller
Japanese action continues its stride this year with Bad City, the long-awaited sophomore feature from stunt multi-hyphenate and filmmaker Kensuke Sonomura, best known for clinching the fandom in recent memory with 2019 freshman hitman thriller, Hydra. Bad City had its premiere for Neuchâtel earlier this summer and is now setting sights on Fantastic Fest next month following the line-up announcement last week. The film stars V-Cinema veteran Hitoshi Ozawa and centers on a covert team of detectives, assembled by a dauntless prosecutor and led by a grisled veteran cop to investigate the city’s criminal underbelly and its connections to a seemingly untouchable corrupt corporate magnate seeking political power. The star himself, credited as OZAWA, also produced the film which was also made in celebration of the actor’s 60th birthday. The cast also includes Hideto Katsuya, Masanori Mimoto, Akane Sakanoue, Masaya Kato, Yoshiyuki Yamaguchi, Lily Franky, Tak Sakaguchi, Yasukaze Motomiya, Mitsu […]
NIFFF 2022: V-Cinema Legend Hitoshi Ozawa Cuts And Kills His Way Through BAD CITY In The First Teaser
The 21st edition of the Neuchatel International Fantastic Film Festival is around the corner with a stellar line-up of titles for its worldly presentation. It’s Asian Competition is jam-packed as well, and with none other than Bad City, the long-awaited sophomore entry from stunt multi-hyphenate Kensuke Sonomura who broke ground in 2019 with his feature debut, Hydra. For Bad City, there’s no question Sonomura is leading the way for the brutal, slice-and-dice action once more, and time he’s joined by lead actor and V-Cinema legend Hitoshi Ozawa (billed as OZAWA as the film’s writer and executive producer) who turns 60 this weekend. To further commemorate this latest career milestone is the official trailer for the film’s premiere for Neuchatel, which will run from July 1 to July 9. Corruption and violence reign supreme in a city torn apart by a private conglomerate, the yakuza, and even the authorities. Former police […]
BAD CITY: ‘Hydra’ Director Returns For Second Feature With V-Cinema Legend Hitoshi Ozawa
If you’ve been following this site for the last few years, you’ll notice the gargantuan fuss I’ve been making about Japanese stunt professional-turned-director Kensuke Sonomura, whose well-earned ceremony with his hit directorial debut Hydra, starring actor Masanori Mimoto, continues to this day. Thankfully, there’s more to report as film production in Japan gracefully ramped up a little more in the past year, and so the aforementioned duo have certainly been keeping busy. This especially goes for the latest reports out of the region on Sonomura’s sophomore feature, Bad City, which kicked off production in November and was officially announced to the press just several days ago in Nakama City, Fukuoka Prefecture. The film’s release in 2022 is set to mark the 60th birthday celebration for V-Cinema legend Hitoshi Ozawa, whose career of thirty four years includes credits films like Beat Takeshi’s Boiling Point, Takashi Miike’s Dead Or Alive, Hajime Gonno’s […]
1%er (ONE PERCENTER): Tak Sakaguchi Reteams With Director Yudai Yamaguchi For ‘Real Action Road’ Thriller Next Year
Filmmaker Yudai Yamaguchi is reteaming with action star Tak Sakaguchi for 1%er (One Percenter), according to an announcement from Sakaguchi’s WiiBER production label. The film marks a reunion between the star and director with numerous shared credits in their wake, dating back to Sakaguchi’s 2000 breakout zombie action thriller, Ryuhei Kitamura’s Versus, on which Yamaguchi served as screenwriter. Not much is yet known about the project, save for the most recent announcement made via Twitter that basically hints at a story about a man on a journeys onto the road less traveled to “master the path”, that is of the “real action road”. That’s basically what I got from the tweet’s auto-translation, though admittedly, the tweet itself might lend something better than what I could offer for its aesthetic. What should go without saying is the level of action fans can expect given what Sakaguchi has brought to the table […]
HYDRA: Kensuke Sonomura’s Japanese Action Debut Hits Hi-YAH! July 2, On Digital, DVD and Blu-Ray July 20
Leave it to Well Go USA Entertainment and their in-house streaming service, Hi-YAH! to hail the coming of new names to the forefront of martial arts action and thrills. Paving the way for stunt professional-turned-filmmaker Kensuke Sonomura since taking his freshman feature actioner, Hydra, on the road back in 2019, Hi-YAH! is announcing a July 2 premiere for subscribers. The film marks a headlining stake for Japanese actor and action star Masanori Mimoto who has appeared in a number of U.S. releases such as Funimation’s Sushi Typhoon release, Alien Vs. Ninja and Samuel Goldwyn Films’s Yakuza Apocalypse, as well as Well Go USA’s Enter The Fat Dragon starring Donnie Yen. After retiring as an assassin, Takashi leads a quiet life as a chef at a sushi bar, where he secretly watches over the daughter of a former associate. His peace is short-lived: soon, he is recruited for a final job […]
Silver Harvest Talks Inspiration, Movies, Action And More With HYDRA Star And Director
Kensuke Sonomura’s feature directing debut, Hydra, is still circulating select film events and screenings. The Coronavirus outbreak may be a factor in its present movement for the time being, but I do know it has a screening pending in Spain last I heard. At any rate, while peddling this amazing thriller to other critics and bloggers for some coverage, I was able to pique the interest of my friends Therese Chen and Takashi Hara in Australia at Silver Harvest who’ve since unveiled both parts of their long-awaited interview with Sonomura-san, and the film’s star, Masanori Mimoto. The film really is a blast being such a concentrated, lo-fi independent actioner. The reactions are very much mixed from those who I know of have seen it given the varying tastes between most fans. I loved the film, and I’m not just saying because I’m friends with both Sonomura and Mimoto. There isn’t […]
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