Who would’ve thought “Bad Lieutenant” would become a quasi-franchise? We’re guessing not Abel Ferrara, but after Werner Herzog did his own version, the “franchise” is continuing with yet another unlikely auteur taking on the themes of the original neo-noir film: Japanese master Takashi Miike.
Miike’s next film is “Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo,” and shortly after the film was reported as a hot package due to hit the Cannes market, Neon announced on Wednesday evening that it was boarding the film with plans to both release it theatrically in North America as well as represent the sales rights at Cannes internationally.
“Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo” will star Shun Oguri (“Godzilla v. Kong”) and Lily James (“Pam and Tommy”), as well as WWE star Liv Morgan joining the cast. The film follows the Bad Lieutenant (Oguri), a corrupt gambler in the Metropolitan Police Force, who finds himself thrown into a tangled case after an enigmatic FBI agent (James) arrives in Tokyo to investigate the disappearance of a politician’s daughter (Morgan). Meanwhile, a deviant killer operating in the yakuza underworld seems to be shadowing their moves.
Filming on the project is expected to begin this month.
Daisuke Tengan, who worked with Miike on “Audition,” “Imprint,” and “13 Assassins” will now collaborate for the fourth time; Tengan wrote the script based on the IP first produced by Edward R. Pressman. The idea is to preserve the DNA of the original film while transporting the story to the streets of Tokyo.
“A team of incredibly talented actors and crew has gathered in Tokyo. Now. I’m about to throw a fastball straight down the middle of your strike zone — no tricks, no gimmicks,” Miike said in a statement. “I’m confident we are about to break through every limit, to create unforgettable entertainment. Get ready for the ride with us!!”
The film will be a U.S.-Japan co-production, produced by Jeremy Thomas for Recorded Picture Company, Sam Pressman for Pressman Film, Naoaki Kitajima for Nippon TV, and Misako Saka for OLM. Executive producers include Tom Quinn, Yuzo Kuwahara, Tetsu Fujimura, Paula Paizes, Alainée Kent, Peter Watson, Ivan Kelava, Max Loeb and Mike Apgar. The deal was negotiated by Neon’s Sarah Colvin, VP of Acquisitions, and Paula Paizes from Pressman Film, and Recorded Picture Company’s Ivan Kelava on behalf of the filmmakers.
“We’re all delighted to reinterpret this iconic IP with a master filmmaker like Takashi Miike,” said producer Jeremy Thomas of Recorded Picture Company. “We’ve produced 10 films in Japan, most recently “Grand Maison Paris” which has grossed over $28M domestically, and it’s a fertile place to create and distribute films. I feel the time is right for this irreverent hybrid.”
“Director Miike brings a fearless new vision to the Bad Lieutenant, a character defined by the auteur. Just as maestros Ferrara and Herzog delivered films as radically different as their own voices, Miike’s adaptation is unrelentingly wild and unique,” said Sam Pressman, CEO of Pressman Film, “My father Edward R. Pressman, always believed this story of corruption, both of police and the human soul, has a global resonance. To realize this next evolution now in Tokyo with Director Miike, Neon and my father’s lifelong friend Jeremy Thomas — all true believers in the power of independent cinema — is both an honor and a dream come true.”
Miike is also producing a new adaptation of his classic horror film “Audition” for Focus Features, which has Charli XCX in talks to star in the project.
Neon also has a number of films it’s presenting at Cannes, including Joachim Trier’s “Sentimental Value,” Julia Ducouranu’s “Alpha,” Raoul Peck’s “Orwell,” and Michael Angelo Covino’s “Splitsville.”
Miike is represented by CAA and Atlas Artists. Oguri is represented by Tristone Entertainment Inc. James is represented by Tavistock Wood Management, Independent Talent Group, and UTA.
AloJapan.com