From the executive producer and director who brought adoring fans the hit popular series, “Power Rangers,” Koichi Sakamoto will bring to life the next generation of superheroes with a new action drama, “GUNBLADE.” The highly-anticipated show will be unveiled during the 2014 Licensing Expo at Mandalay Bay Convention Center on Tuesday, June 17.
Director Koichi Sakamoto is a WAY different man of film nowadays. I mean, I’m astonished! The man has sure come a long way from his days with Alpha Stunts while working on Power Rangers and Mark Dacascos action vehicle Drive. And if his latest work is proof of nothing else (i.e. Travelers, Innocent Lillies), it concludes that the veteran stuntman and stunt coordinator has come into his own, with sexy, gorgeous women front-and-center and in on the action… and not just the usual…well…action.
The latest gathering of tokusatsu alumni are hitting your DVD player on August 23, 2013 for the release of the futuristic Japanese action adventure thrill ride, TRAVELERS: Dimension Police. The feature length film is described as a “Sexy, authentic action movie…no questions asked” and is heralded by many tokusatsu fans a one of the most substantive reunions in Japanese cinema history. The Japanese DVD includes a “First press” release of the film, which is clocked at 82 minutes with English subtitles, packaged in a special case with 12-page liner notes. It also contains behind-the-scenes and event footage, as well as an audio commentary.
“TRAVELERS” stars actress/singer Nao Nagasawa, and actress/model Ayumi Kinoshita in a story about a beautiful law woman working for an interdimensional police force, who serendipitously crosses paths with her former partner-turned-enemy, forcing each other to confront their past while investigating an innerspace terrorist agency, ultimately embarking on a dangerous mission that could decide the fate of the multiverse as we know it. The film also stars Yuko Takayama, Kenji Ebisawa and Kentaro Shimazu with a screenplay by Sotaro Hayashi, and is directed by action impressario Koichi Sakamoto, who intially began his efforts with a proof of concept video he reportedly worked on starting in 2008.
Sakamoto, who is well-known in the industry for bringing light and magic to big and small screens as a martial arts stuntman, performer, action coordinator, choreographer, producer, executive producer and director, carries well over twenty years of credits to his name. The high-profile action filmmaker and co-founder of Alpha Stunts, is among those responsible for helping create memorable action scenes for several Tokusatsu and Super Sentai television properties, including Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (along with industry actor, stunt performer and coordinator Jeff Pruitt) and VR troopers as a 2nd unit director. Sakamoto is also behind the action in other popular martial arts action films such as the Steve Wang-directed cult classic hits Drive and Guyver: Dark Hero, in addition to other films like Devon’s Ghost, Gedo: Fatal Blade, High Voltage, Extreme Heist and the non-stop uber violent martial arts thriller, Broken Path. Currently, he is involved in the production of the Power Rangers reunion special, Super Megaforce, which is slated for airing later this year or early 2014.
TRAVELERS: Dimension Police is now available for pre-order at CDJapan.