Fifteen years since launching into video game franchise fruition prior to a 2007 live-action take from Takashi Miike, fans of the Ryu Ga Gotoku (Like A Dragon) franchise are officially on deck to a new feature film offering, according to Variety’s Dave McNary.
Kinji Fukasaku (Battle Royale) gave the world Japan’s answer to The Godfather with this violent yakuza saga, influencing filmmakers from Quentin Tarantino (Kill Bill, Reservoir Dogs) to Takashi Miike (Graveyard of Honor, Audition). Made within just two years, the five-film series brought a new kind of realism and ferocity to the crime genre in Japan, revitalizing the industry and leading to unprecedented commercial and critical success.
It’s early days right now, but actor, writer and director Yamakita Ryuji‘s newest directorial feature debut, Bond:Kizuna is already well underway through its promotional campaign via social media. We have our first teaser now making the rounds, aside from the addition of legendary actor Sonny Chiba, it’s indie with a ton of relatively new faces headlined by actor David Yeung (son of Bloodsport co-star Bolo Yeung), actress Courtney Palm, and co-stars Ivory Broome and Street Fighter: Assassin’s Fist co-star Gaku Space who are also producing. Suffice it to say, the people behind the action are Nakamura Tadahiro and Abe Tsuyoshi, two veteran action impressarios better known for their contributions to action cinema as members of Sakamoto Koichi’s team, Alpha Stunts, so that should be plenty worth checking out in this latest bit of intertwining, multilayered tale of crime, vengenace and love.
Director Takashi Miike is well on his way with another potential hit with his next film, Yakuza Apocalypse. Marking the acclaimed director’s latest “rampage back to the basics” with a script by Yoshitaki Yamaguchi, the film sets lead actor Hayato Ichihara as a gangster caught in the nightmare of his life when he finds out his boss is a vampire.
The film also stars Yayan Ruhian, best known for his memorable performances in Gareth Evans’ recent hits, The Raid and The Raid 2. “Miike is the first director I’ve worked with since Gareth Evans,” said Ruhian in a recent set report from Screendaily’s own Jason Gray. “Miike is very good with a unique character. Whatever I do, I make it fun for myself. I like Japan. I am making new friends.” Miike also clarified a bit more about the film’s setup and direction in the same report, adding “My aim is not to shoot an all-out action film. It’s not action per se that I’m interested in but what comes out of the struggle between the main characters”.
This week, Twitchfilm provided a bit more info from the production, including a brand new synopsis and first official below:
Akira (Hayato Ichihara) admires Genyo Kamiura who is the most powerful yakuza. Genyo Kamiura has been targeted numerous times, but has never died. He is called the invincible person.
Because of Genyo Kamiura, Akira enters the world of the yakuza. His yakuza colleagues treats him like an idiot, Akira can’t even get tattoos because of his sensitive skin. Akira becomes disappointed in the yakuza world, because it’s not like what he say in the movies. Especially, in terms of loyalty and charity depicted of the yakuza.
An assassin is then sent to take out Genyo Kamiura. The killers know that Genyo Kamiura is a vampire.
Yakuza Apocalypse is produced by Shinjiro Nishimura and is Miike’s latest return to the set with Ichihara since working on the 2008 film, God’s Puzzle. The film has since wrapped principal photography before being shopped at Cannes by Japanese distributor, Nikkatsu, and is now in post-production for release next year.
Ruhian is also set to star with Chilean action hero Marko Zaror in, One Good Thing, directed by Killers co-helmer Kimo Stamboel from a script by Twitchfilm founder and editor Todd Brown.
As kids, Washio and Takamura were best buddies and rollerskating rivals. Twenty years later, they’re on completely different paths in life — Washio (Osawa) is a member of the yakuza and Takamura is now a police detective. While investing the local heroin trade, Takamura (Morohoshi) looks up his old pal and they join forces to crush Washio’s bitter underworld nemesis.
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