Magnolia Pictures’ Magnet Releasing will rollout Motorrad helmer Vicente Amorim’s Yakuza Princess later this year. Magnolia EVP Dori Begley and Magnolia SVP of Acquisitions John Von Thaden negotiated the deal with Pip Ngo from XYZ Films who acquired international sales rights on the action thriller back in February.
Twenty-one-year-old orphan Akemi learns she is the heiress to half of the Yakuza empire, and that the other half wants her dead. Her survival is dependent on a foreigner who suffers from amnesia, who believes that an ancient sword ties their two fates together.
Yakuza Princess is based on Danilo Beyruth’s graphic novel “Samurai Shiro”, and stars newcomer, Japanese-American actress and singer Masumi in the title role. She stars along with Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Tsuyoshi Ihara and Kenny Leu, from a script co-penned with Fernando Toste, Kimi Lee and Tubaldini Shelling, the latter who is producing the film next to Andre Skaf, Filmland International and XYZ Films.
“’Yakuza Princess’ is a wild ride of a movie,” said Magnolia President Eamonn Bowles in a statement. “The Brazilian backdrop infuses the action with a totally fresh take on the genre.”
Brent Lang, Variety
“In ‘Yakuza Princess’ we threw out the playbook and pushed the boundaries of genre all the way in a bloodthirsty action movie about a Japanese girl’s coming-of-age and revenge,” said director Vicente Amorim. “I’ve been waiting to make a movie like this all my life.”