ALICE IN BORDERLAND Takes You Beyond In The Official Season Three Trailer
The action-packed survival saga returns on September 25!
shinsuke sato
KINGDOM: New Footage Teases Kento Yamazaki In Action For The Fifth Installment
In the hours that followed a major poster reveal on Thursday evening in my time zone, Toho revealed the official super teaser for the fifth entry into the Kingdom saga which you can view below. The footage, as does the poster, features audio from the cast of the franchise, namely lead actor Kento Yamazaki, who now dons a brand new uniform in succession with the journey of his character per Yasuhisa Hara’s hit manga. Franchise steward Shinsuke Sato is directing the film from a script by continuing scribe Tsutomu Kuroiwa, with Credeus, Inc. CEO, Shinzo Matsuhashi producing. Further casting details remain pending as production commences, as well as an official title following Kingdom (2019), Kingdom: Far And Away (2022), Kingdom: The Flame Of Destiny (2023), and Kingdom: Return Of The Great General (2024). The new chapter opens in summer of 2026. Check out the super teaser below!
KINGDOM Saga Teases Fifth Chapter With New Poster
Award-winning actor Kento Yamazaki is back in the saddle for a brand new chapter!
The Movies That Moved Me: Shinsuke Sato’s THE PRINCESS BLADE
Anothe one I’ve loved for many years…
KINGDOM: RETURN OF THE GREAT GENERAL Review: Shinsuke Sato’s Latest Rages On In An Extant Tale Of High Drama And Heroic Bloodshed
Kingdom: Return Of The Great General is now streaming on Netflix in the U.S. Imaginably, if the rest of us outside of Japan got to see Shinsuke Sato’s Kingdom: Return Of The Great General, the film would have easily listed for many of us somewhere in our top favorite action titles of 2024. Interest be damned, however, the obligatory window still applies for titles like these, and now the film is finally streaming on Netflix as of Wednesday. Sato’s continued adaptation of Yasuhisa Hara’s celebrated manga-cum-anime fave re-establishes the cast of the franchise thusfar, led by Kento Yamazaki, Ryo Yoshizawa, Kanna Hashimoto, and Takao Osawa, as well as Nana Seino. Additionally, the film also brings back actors Koji Kikkawa and Oguri Shun whose characters are introduced in the outro sequences of the previous chapter, Kingdom: The Flame Of Destiny. As Ohki (Osawa) prepares to lead the Qin army into its […]
KINGDOM: RETURN OF THE GREAT GENERAL Reveals Newest Trailer And Title Track
There’s only one month to go until the fourth installment of the Kingdom saga opens in Japan theaters. It’s the latest work of director Shinsuke Sato who has proven to be one of the most adept directors working today when it comes to adapting manga, and features another round of new cast to join the reprising stars led by Kento Yamazaki, Ryo Yoshizawa, Kanna Hashimoto, Takao Osawa, and Masami Nagasawa. Alas, Kingdom: Return Of The Great General is the name (at least based on my translations) of the new entry into the saga. I’ve stayed with all the films up to this point and can’t wait to see this one, and I don’t have a logline to offer, sadly. What I can say is that since the first film, a bond between two friends shattered by tragedy now finds Yamazaki’s character beholden to a destiny he’s taken toward as the […]
Titans Of War Clash In The New KINGDOM: RETURN OF THE GREAT GENERAL Official Trailer
Even at this stage, I’m a little aghast that some film fans are only just getting around to Shinsuke Sato’s Kingdom adaptations. Others are just as new as they are to other films like the HiGH&LOW franchise. Honestly, I really hope I’m doing my part in fixing that given the stateside availability of most of these titles in the last several years. At any rate, the Kingdom franchise lives on, from the pages of Yasuhisa Hara’s hit manga to Toho’s sprawling live action spectacle, the Warring States epic now reaches its latest climax in Sato’s Kingdom: Return Of The Great General. Opening July 12, actor Kento Yamazaki returns alongside Ryo Yoshizawa, Kanna Hashimoto and Takao Osawa for a story that sees the Qin State battling to unify China. The next chapter – as teased by Kingdom: The Flame Of Destiny – now sees unfolding a mystery behind the death of […]
KINGDOM: RETURN OF THE GREAT GENERAL Sets The Stage For Vengeance In New Promo Teaser!
Early Sunday Japan time, Toho released a stunning new pair of assets for Kingdom: Return Of The Great General. Shinsuke Sato directs the fourth installment based on Yasuhisa Hara’s hit manga with a screenplay by Tsutomu Kuroiwa. Enclosed below is a new teaser and visual featuring first look at actress Yuko Araki in the role of Kyo, one of the six great Generals of Qin. Her inclusion in this next installment marks just the latest in a major setup for a heated confrontation that finally sees legendary General Ouki return to the battlefield and face his ultimate rival, Houken. Those roles are respectively played by Takao Osawa and Koji Kikkawa, who join reprising leads Kento Yamazaki, Ryo Yoshizawa and Kanna Hashimoto. Shun Ogiri is also expected to make his return following his cameo in the role of Riboku in last summer’s hit threequel, Kingdom: Flame Of Destiny. Kingdom: Return Of […]
KINGDOM: RETURN OF THE GREAT GENERAL Unveils New Teaser And Poster
Coming into fruition is the newest and exciting chapter in Shinsuke Sato’s Kingdom franchise with Japan’s July release, Kingdom: Return Of The Great General. Per the basis of its story on Yasuhisa Hara’s Warring States-set manga, the new film takes off from the events of the most recent third entry dubbed Kingdom: Flame Of Destiny. That brings us to the arrival of actor Koji Kikkawa in the role of Houken, a brooding “war god” with an insatiable need to quench his thirst with the blood of the allies that once betrayed him. Those details and more are all revealed in the first three films which are now streaming on Netflix, and available on Blu-Ray disc wherever they’re sold; You can especially dive a bit more into the subject matter here in my review of Flame Of Destiny. Make no mistake though, this saga is a must-see. I eagerly await its […]
KINGDOM: THE FLAME OF DESTINY Review: Secrets, Lies And Intrigue Heat Up Shinsuke Sato’s Already Propulsive Third Chapter
Kingdom: The Flame Of Destiny is streaming on Netflix. Filmmaker Shinsuke Sato is staying the course with his sprawling action adventure saga that is Kingdom, based on the work of mangaka Yasuhisa Hara and with production banner CREDEUS Inc. in his wheelhouse. With a fourth film in toe, Netflix subscribers now have a chance to run the current three-film course leading up to the latest installment, Kingdom: The Flame Of Destiny, segueing to the next phase of Sato’s Warring States epic with Kento Yamazaki, Ryo Yoshizawa and Kanna Hashimoto each reprising their roles. Also among the returning cast are actors Nana Seino and Masami Nagasawa, and Takao Osawa, the latter in what continues to be the most pivotal role of the whole franchise, possibly. To get the gist of what I’m saying, and if you haven’t done so yet, I recommend watching the first two installments. Otherwise, Kingdom: Flame Of […]
KINGDOM: RETURN OF THE GREAT GENERAL Signals The Next Explosive Chapter In The First Teaser
Director Shinsuke Sato’s treatment of the Kingdom franchise continues to be one of the greatest and most beautiful looking things to happen to live-action manga adaptations, all right up to this past summer’s hit third chapter release, Kingdom: Flame Of Destiny. Following its announcement in September, the next feature installment based Yasuhisa Hara’s publication is only half a year away now with the July 12 release of Kingdom: Return Of The Great General, with Toho leading the charge as its begun so with an official teaser to signal fans. The cast of returning and new characters is led by Kento Yamazaki who continues the saga as Shin, the former orphan-turned-warrior whose ongoing pursuits to become the greatest general in the Warring States carry with them the memory of a beloved friend Piao, who sacrificed himself as the penultimate body double to King Eisei, both dually played by Ryo Yoshizawa. Following […]
ALICE IN BORDERLAND: Netflix Signals Season Three Of The Hit Fantasy Action Survival Series
Netflix has greenlit a third season of hit series Alice In Borderland, just a few days after teasing the news on social media. Casting details are currently unknown apart from the returns of series regulars Kento Yamazaki and Tao Tsuchiya in their respective roles. The series also rejoins with Shinsuke Sato back in the chair to direct, based on Haro Aso’s hit Shogakukan manga publication about a listless gamer who gets mysteriously transported with select members of Tokyo’s population to a parallel universe where everyone must participate in a deadly segmented game of survival. Season one premiered in December 2020, followed by a second season in December 2022 which teases the Joker card at the end of the series. Yamazaki also stars in Sato’s live-action treatments of hit manga, Kingdom, which opened its third installment in Japan theaters in July, and is also on track for a fourth sequel. Sato’s […]
Shinsuke Sato’s KINGDOM Saga Continues With A Fourth Movie On The Way
Principal photography has already wrapped on a fourth installment of Shinsuke Sato’s sprawling live-action adaptation of the hit manga, Kingdom. The news comes following the release of the Toho/Sony Pictures International saga’s third chapter, Kingdom: Flame Of Destiny, which opened in Japan back in July. Kento Yamazaki (Netflix’s “Alice In Borderland”) leads a cast that includes Ryo Yoshizawa (Bleach) and Kanna Hashimoto (Gintama), for a story based on Yasuhisa Hara’s hit manga and adapted for the screen by Tsutomu Kuroiwa. Set during the Warring States, the saga chronicles war orphan Shin (Yamazaki) on his harrowing quest to become a great general, while aiding King Eisei (Yoshizawa) on his mission to unify China. The first and second films are currently streaming on Netflix in the U.S.. Further details on the fourth title and release remain pending as the film resume’s post-production. Read more at Eiga. Lead pic: Poster art for Kingdom: […]
KINGDOM 2: FAR AND AWAY Review: Shinsuke Sato’s Epic Sequel Ignites The Franchise Spark
Shinsuke Sato’s 2019 manga adaptation, Kingdom dared us to dream. His hit sequel, Kingdom 2: Far And Away, demanded we saw our dreams through… Shin (Kento Yamazaki) takes the mantle as he leads a regiment of makeshift soldiers accomodating the Qin forces of King Eisei (Ryo Yoshizawa) and battlefield General Hyoko (Etsushi Toyokawa) to the Daikan Plains in response to the advancing neighboring forces of Wei. Along the way, Shin finds himself reuniting with Bihei (Amane Okayama) and elder brother Bitou (Takahiro Miura) before the regiment’s arrival to the plains where the men must group into units of five to be formidable. Joined by the unassuming Takukei (Takayuki Hamatsu) and the terse but deadly Kyoukai (Nana Seino), Shin and the brothers form a quintet and charge into battle with the regiment under the leadership of Commander Bakukoshin (Kiyohiko Shibukawa). The attack leads to the first of multiple battles with Wei […]
Streaming Sleepers: Shinsuke Sato’s KINGDOM And KINGDOM 2: FAR AND AWAY Charge Into Battle On Netflix!
Any day is a good day when there is Shinsuke Sato-related news to report, and I nearly cried when I learned this. Laugh and judge me as you may, I don’t care. These are the happy tears, buddy… Netflix has just released Sato’s 2019 epic, Kingdom, along with last year’s blockbuster sequel, Kingdom 2: Far And Away, both starring Alice In Borderland’s Kento Yamazaki and based on Yasuhisa Hara’s hit manga. Kingdom sees Yamazaki in the role of Xin, an orphan who vows vengeance after losing a dear friend, striving to become the world’s greatest general. The sequel continues with Xin joining a ragtag infantry to fend off a far-superior invading army. Actors Kanna Hashimoto and Ryo Yoshizawa also return to headline both films, as well as Sato’s trilogical installment, Kingdom 3: Flame Of Destiny. That film opens through Toho in Japan next Friday, stateside Netflix launch pending, fingers crossed […]
KINGDOM 3: FLAME OF DESTINY Official Trailer Sets Ablaze Online!
Toho And Sony Japan have officially sprung the first trailer for the third installment in the live-action Kingdom saga hereby titled Kingdom 3: Flame Of Destiny, as we know it. Last year’s Kingdom 2: To The Land Of Faraway followed suit with the inaugural 2019 film from director Shinsuke Sato becoming a box office hit all the same, and with a release date currently set for July 28, you can guess Sato is ready to finish things on a truly epic note. Sato directs from a script by Tsutomu Kuroiwa, taking cues from Yasuhisa Hara’s hit manga. Per Crunchyroll, the new movie “centers on the “Battle of Bayou” arc, where the protagonist Li Xin and Wang Qi stand on the same battlefield for the first time to fight off an invasion by Zhao, and the “Escape from Zhao” arc, which tells Ying Zheng’s unknown past. As Sato noted previously in […]
Shinsuke Sato’s KINGDOM 3 Rings In The New Year With The First Official Teaser!
Bringing the trilogy full circle this year is director Shinsuke Sato with a third installment of the Kingdom saga based on the work of mangaka Yasuhisa Hara. Following the film’s announcement a few weeks ago in Toho’s 2023 line-up, we now have the film’s first official teaser to kick off the new year which you can view below. The film reunites Sato with actor Kento Yamazaki following their latest banner success with season two of Alice In Borderland on Netflix. Sato and Yamazaki paired up for the inaugural hit film in 2019 which is set against the backdrop of the Warring States period, and tells of a young slave who finds himself protecting a king in exile against his usurped stepbrother. The film also starred Ryo Yoshizawa and Kanna Hashimoto who returned for the 2022 summer sequel, Kingdom 2: To The Land Of Faraway, with both films becoming top box […]
Now On Netflix: Season Two Of ALICE IN BORDERLAND Delivers Deadlier Games, Love And Hope For Human Triumph
One of the most exciting shows currently streaming on Netflix that isn’t Squid Game just happens to be the show that did it first: Alice In Borderland. Season two, directed by Shinsuke Sato, is currently running with actors Kento Yamazaki and Tao Tsuchiya leading the way once more along with a row of both new and returning characters, and some thrilling new challenges to pepper things up a bit, including Face Card challenges which up the ante even more than before. How much? Welp, it all begins following the aftermath of the final beach showdown in season one which you can read about here. From the start, Arisu (Yamazaki) and Usagi (Tsuchiya) are rejoined by Kuina (Aya Asahina) and Chishiya (Nijiro Murakami) at Shibuya crossing in the still-desolate Tokyo where the first of the Face Cards, the King Of Spades, makes its violent arrival in the form of a fast-moving […]
MY HERO ACADEMIA: Shinsuke Sato’s Live-Action Feature Adaptation Lands At Netflix
It’s been about four years since Legendary Entertainment acquired the rights to adapt Kohei Horikoshi’s hit manga, My Hero Academia. The animated series from the studio, Bones, was in its fifth season, while the development of the movie up-ticked a bit with the attachment of filmmaker Shinsuke Sato to direct as of last year. Sato has since taken off with the release of his most recent manga adaptation, a sequel to 2019 Warring States epic, Kingdom, as of this summer, and a second season of his hit series, Alice In Borderland, opening later this month on Netlix. As for My Hero Academia, the film has since found its new launchpad at the streaming service with Sato directing from a script by Joby Harold (Obi-Wan Kenobi, Army of the Dead). Mary Parent and Alex Garcia are producing for Legendary with Sato exec producing. Toho Co., Ltd. will handle the film’s theatrical […]
ALICE IN BORDERLAND Sees No Way Out For Our Players In The Explosive Season Two Trailer
The official Japan account for Netflix is already hyping up live-tweet viewing parties for fans of the hit series, Alice In Borderland, which you’re totally invited to check out on your own terms, but do it quick. Season two is en route for later this month and the official trailer is finally here to show us all that’s in store for the seemingly neverending game of death. Read all about season two, and then watch the brand new trailer below and peep the second season artwork just beneath. Of course, for a season one refresher with thoughts from yours truly, click here! – “If we clear all the games, can we return to the real world?” – This mega-hit survival drama starring Kento Yamazaki and Tao Tsuchiya and directed by Shinsuke Sato has been widely anticipated across the globe. Now, the long-awaited continuation of the series that reached the Top […]