Anime fans can be sure to expect more City Hunter with a feature film now in post-production for 2019. Until then, Hojo Tsukasa’s 1985 is now reborn with a cadre of French talent on hand for star and director Philippe Lacheau’s Nicky Larson via Sony Pictures France.
Hojo Tsukasa’s popular manga, City Hunter, is still one of the most long-running IPs of late. The demand is equally high as well in the realm of film, even moreso with Philippe Lacheau’s Nicky Larson coming in 2019.
French actor and filmmaker Philippe Lacheau is applying his craft as of late with word that he’ll be adapting his own take on the popular Shueisha publication, City Hunter. He’ll be on both sides of the lens directing and starring, thus adding to recent credits such as Babysitting, Babysitting 2, and 2017 comedy, Alibi.com.
The news comes in the wake of reports out of Berlin via Variety where French telco operator Orange is taking its newly launched film shingle, Orange Studio, to the sales floor at EFM. Their package joins City Hunter with Amos Gitai’s Tramway In Jerusalem to Jean-Charles Hue’s Tijuana Bible with Ed Skrein starring among others.
Hojo Tsukasa’s original 1985 manga serves the basis telling of a womanizing detective who runs a jack-of-all-trades outlet running missions with a beautiful tomboy as his often jealous assistant. The manga ran several OVAs and two live-action films: a 1991 movie loosely based on the manga with Andy Lau starring, and a titular adaptation shepherded by Jackie Chan and Wong Jing in 1993.
Other attempts at adaptations came and went in limbo after while nowadays, while it ain’t Hollywood, this may still strike a chord in an era where concerns over whitewashing have gaint a foothold in the broad conversation regarding the prevalent lack of Asian talent presence on screen. I’m not particularly certain how France’s moviegoing demographic views this issue as much as I’m familar with how Americans feel toward it so if you live in the region and/or are in the know, you’re more than welcome to engage and voice yourselves. Parle librement!
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