Blood of Yasuke. HEAR ME OUT!
yasuke ofc has to be over 6ft tall and dark skin, I mean DEEP DARK.
If written well and has a decent marketing/promo, this will be massive. A charismatic leading black man, feudal japan, samurai, ninja, emperor, historical action epic, iconic japanese historical figures, educational, What more?
I know Hollywood clearly not ready and still cowards when it comes to having a Asian leading actor and a Asian cast but I much rather they do such fascinating epic story like this than another whitewashed Last Samurai bs. Just please, I don't want to see any more white people in stuff they don't belong in. Enough is Enough. Considering the success of Black Panther, a action super hero movie with poc cast, black leading actors. It's safe to say this is not risky, if not this will be incredibly successful if handled right.
You are killing many birds with one stone. Black lead, Feudal Japan, Action, Historically Fascinating and Culturally important, Is not risky, Marketable, Very Refreshing! Original, Two different Poc representation and opportunity. Educational and Informative to Feudal Japan, a look into their historical figures and events. This is the closest movie Hollywood can make about historical japan without being afraid that it's not marketable and can avoid whitewashing.
There'll be no "blackwashing" issue because this is based on a true story. Yasuke was a real person. I would prefer if they don't venture off from Yasuke role. He should not be this savior to Japanese people and all their problems. People should know that you can give light and opportunity to a black man and his story but not diminished the other poc and Japanese culture that's also in this story. It shouldn't be completely way off and inaccurate. Yasuke is the protagonist and should rightfully be the protagonist but the others, especially Nobunaga are fascinating and iconic people on their own with their own incredible story in the midst of the time Yasuke was there. They should not exist just as a plot device for Yasuke. The way the characters interact, react, developed and revolve among each other should feel and be organic. Lastly, I think a vague bittersweet ending similar to the real story is better than a basic, typical, forgettable happy ending.
If written well and has a decent marketing/promo, this will be massive. A charismatic leading black man, feudal japan, samurai, ninja, emperor, historical action epic, iconic japanese historical figures, educational, What more?
I know Hollywood clearly not ready and still cowards when it comes to having a Asian leading actor and a Asian cast but I much rather they do such fascinating epic story like this than another whitewashed Last Samurai bs. Just please, I don't want to see any more white people in stuff they don't belong in. Enough is Enough. Considering the success of Black Panther, a action super hero movie with poc cast, black leading actors. It's safe to say this is not risky, if not this will be incredibly successful if handled right.
You are killing many birds with one stone. Black lead, Feudal Japan, Action, Historically Fascinating and Culturally important, Is not risky, Marketable, Very Refreshing! Original, Two different Poc representation and opportunity. Educational and Informative to Feudal Japan, a look into their historical figures and events. This is the closest movie Hollywood can make about historical japan without being afraid that it's not marketable and can avoid whitewashing.
There'll be no "blackwashing" issue because this is based on a true story. Yasuke was a real person. I would prefer if they don't venture off from Yasuke role. He should not be this savior to Japanese people and all their problems. People should know that you can give light and opportunity to a black man and his story but not diminished the other poc and Japanese culture that's also in this story. It shouldn't be completely way off and inaccurate. Yasuke is the protagonist and should rightfully be the protagonist but the others, especially Nobunaga are fascinating and iconic people on their own with their own incredible story in the midst of the time Yasuke was there. They should not exist just as a plot device for Yasuke. The way the characters interact, react, developed and revolve among each other should feel and be organic. Lastly, I think a vague bittersweet ending similar to the real story is better than a basic, typical, forgettable happy ending.
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In 1998, Chris Tashima received an Academy Award® for Live Action Short Film, for Visas and Virtue (1997) -- a 26-minute historical drama inspired by Holocaust rescuer Chiune 'Sempo' Sugihara -- which he directed, co-wrote (adapting an original one-act play by Tim Toyama), and starred as the Humanitarian diplomat. To produce the film, he co-founded Cedar Grove Productions with playwright and executive producer Toyama and producer Chris Donahue, which remains active developing and producing projects which "boldly defy mainstream Hollywood by giving Asian Americans the spotlight on stage, or the close-up on screen."
As a follow-up, Tashima directed, co-wrote and acted in Day of Independence (2003), Cedar Grove Productions' tribute to the 120,000 Japanese Americans who endured America's World War II concentration camps. The half-hour drama received an Emmy® Nomination from the NATAS Northern California Chapter, in the category of Historical/Cultural - Program/Special, in addition to being officially selected to over sixty international film festivals, garnering twenty-five awards.
Tashima studied film production at UC Santa Cruz and with Visual Communications, an Asian Pacific American media arts organization in his hometown of Los Angeles.
As actor, Tashima has starred in numerous independent films over the past 35-plus years. In his biggest role, he played the romantic lead opposite Joan Chen in Eric Byler's festival favorite Americanese (2006), which won the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature and a Special Jury Prize for Outstanding Ensemble Cast at its world premiere at the SXSW Film Festival. More recently, he played real-life Nisei educator/activist Shigeo Yoshida in Alexander Bocchieri's Go for Broke (2018), from screenwriter/executive producer Stacey Hayashi, and Game Keeper Mr. Chan opposite Rutger Hauer in the sci-fi thriller RPG [Real Playing Game (2013)], a Portuguese production from Tino Navarro. Other roles range from the historical figure, Japanese American pioneering newspaperman Sei Fujii, in Jeffrey Gee Chin's period noir dramatic short Lil Tokyo Reporter (2012) to, most recently, Hiro in Brian Tang's SWAT Samurai fantasy/action short Kodama (2023), receiving a World Premiere at SXSW 2023. Tashima was awarded Best Actor in a Supporting Role at the inaugural Love International Film Festival (Los Angeles) for his portrayal of Papa in Tim Savage's Under the Blood-Red Sun (2014) from producer Dana Satler Hankins. At the 11th Austin Revolution Film Festival he received two nominations: for Actor in a U.S. Feature Film, and for the 'Margaret Ann Garza' Actor of the Year Award, both for his performance as Uncle Bob in No No Girl (2022), a generational family comedy written and directed by Paul Daisuke Goodman.
Tashima's theatre appearances have included Ming in the world premiere of Chay Yew's A "Language of Their Own" at the Celebration Theatre in West Hollywood (garnering an LA Weekly Theater Award for Ensemble Performance), Windrider in Laurence Yep's "Dragonwings" which he originated at Berkeley Repertory Theatre (and reprised at Seattle Children's Theatre, the Alliance Children's Theatre in Atlanta, and Syracuse Stage), and Sugihara in Toyama's original one-act, "Visas and Virtue," at the Road Theatre Company in North Hollywood. He has worked extensively with East West Players in Los Angeles, where among his early credits are "Rashomon," "Mishima" and "The Memento."
In addition to theatre performance Tashima has directed for the stage, including the the world premieres of Dan Kwong's "Be Like Water" at East West Players, and Soji Kashiwagi's "Nihonmachi: The Place to Be" for the Grateful Crane Ensemble. Tashima is also a multi-award-winning scenic designer (Ovation Award - "Sweeney Todd," Drama-Logue Award - "Into the Woods").
Tashima has been the recipient of honors from community organizations from around the country, including the "Japanese American of the Biennium" awarded by the Japanese American Citizens League (National JACL), a Community Award from the Japanese American Service Committee (Chicago), a "Bridge Builder" Award at the Asian American Leadership Awards (1998) presented by A. Magazine (NYC), a Special Recognition Award from the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center (Los Angeles), a Visionary Award from East West Players (LA), and a Humanitarian Award from The "1939" Club, a Holocaust Survivors' organization (LA).
Tashima is an active member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, in the Short Films and Feature Animation Branch. He is a member of the Directors Guild of America, where he serves on the DGA's Asian American Committee. He is also an active member of SAG-AFTRA where he serves on the National APAM (Asian Pacific American Media) Committee. And in addition, he is a member of Actors' Equity Association, and the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society.
Follow on twitter and Instagram: @christashimaOda Nobunaga
Ken Watanabe is not the only Japanese actor!- Joseph Lee is an American actor & visual artist. He was raised in West Lafayette, Indiana. He began acting in theatre while attending Purdue University, where he studied political science and history. He made his film debut starring in Searching (2018), which premiered at Sundance Film Festival. He is best known for his role in the Netflix A24 limited series Beef (2023), which earned him a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie.
Offscreen, Joseph is also an accomplished visual artist. His studio is based in Los Angeles.Akechi Mitsuhide - Kazuki Kitamura was born on 17 July 1969 in Osaka, Japan. He is an actor, known for Signal: The Movie (2021), Folklore (2018) and Kera (2016).Akechi Mitsuhide
- Hiro Mizushima was born on 13 April 1984 in Tokyo, Japan. He is an actor, known for Kamen Rider Kabuto (2006), Kamen Rider Kabuto: God Speed Love (2006) and Black Butler (2014). He has been married to Ayaka since 22 February 2009. They have two children.Nobutada
- Sôta Fukushi was born on 30 May 1993 in Tokyo, Japan. He is an actor, known for Bleach (2018), Kamen Rider × Super Sentai: Super Hero Taisen (2012) and Kamen Rider Movie War Ultimatum: Kamen Rider vs. Kamen Rider Wizard & Fourze (2012).Nobutada
- Nobutada
- Producer
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- Writer
Cary Joji Fukunaga is a Japanese-American film director, screenwriter, cinematographer and producer from Oakland, California who is known for directing the James Bond film No Time to Die, Kofi, Beasts of No Nation, Jane Eyre and Sin Nombre. He co-wrote the 2017 film adaptation of the Stephen King book It. He directed several episodes of the television show True Detective.director?- Writer
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Gregory Widen was born on 30 November 1958 in Los Angeles County, California, USA. He is a writer and producer, known for The Prophecy (1995), Backdraft (1991) and Highlander (1986).- The uniquely beautiful and talented Ryuhei Matsuda was born May 9, 1983, in Tokyo, to Miyuki Matsuda and Yûsaku Matsuda. Six years later, Ryuhei's life took a tragic turn when his father died from bladder cancer at the age of 40. Ryuhei and his mother persevered, and unlike most offspring of famous actors, he didn't give much thought to acting as a child. Nine years later, at the age of 15, that would all change when Ryuhei was approached by Nagisa Oshima with a life changing offer: to take on the prominent role as the androgynous youth, Samurai Sozaburo Kano in the controversial Gohatto. Ryuhei took the role head on, preparing himself emotionally and physically by practicing ken do for two months straight. His film debut was a success, and acted on par with the likes of Takeshi Kitano and Tadanobu Asano. For his hard work, Ryuhei was rewarded with critical acclaim and numerous awards. Shortly thereafter, he dropped out of high school to fully devote his time and efforts on his burgeoning film career, and with much success. Lightning would strike again for Ryuhei in 2001, in the dark, thought provoking high school drama, Blue Spring, directed by Toshiaki Toyoda. Such as with his debut, Ryuhei received yet more acclaim and this time, more widespread recognition for his role as the laid back, brutal, yet introspective high school gang leader, Kujo. The film roles kept coming, such as the 2003 reunion with writer director Toshiaki Toyoda in the acclaimed film 9 Souls, and a bit part in the flashy, comedic anime-to-film live action adaptation of Cutie Honey in the following year. Ryuhei's trend of working with some of Japan's most talented actors and directors continued in 2004 and in 2005 in the violent Takashi Miike action film, Izo, co-starring Takeshi Kitano and the upcoming Ranpo jigoku, co-starring Tadanobu Asano. With his charisma, talent, and ability to take on roles varying from the comedic, outrageous, moving, and controversial, the sky's the limit for this young man.Matsudaira Ietada
- Yuya Yagira was born on March 26, 1990, in Higashiyamato. His friends call him Yagy. He loves soccer and swimming, meat and ang-ning-tofu-square. He belongs to the StarDust Promotion agency. His very 1st audition was Nobody Knows (2004). He quickly got the part. Shooting of Nobody Knows (2004) had some little breaks, so he acted other roles in the interval on a mini TV series, "Denchi ga kireru made" & "Kunimitu no sei." He won the Best Actor of Cannes Film Festival. He is the youngest and the 1st Japanese winner.Matsudaira Ietada
- Actor
- Director
- Composer
Tadanobu Asano's a Japanese film actor. His father suggested he take on what became his first role in the TV show Kimpachi Sensei at 16. His film debut was Swimming Upstream (1990) though his first major critical success was in Shunji Iwai's Fried Dragon Fish (1993). His first critical success in the West was in Kore-eda Hirokazu's Maborosi (1995), in which he played a man who inexplicably throws himself in front of a train, widowing his wife & orphaning his infant son. His best known works internationally are the samurai films Taboo (1999) & The Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi (2003). It was on the set of Iwai's Picnic (1996) that he met & fell in love with J-Pop idol Chara. They married soon after learning she was pregnant with their first child, Sumire. While best known for characters who are psychologically offbeat, if not downright psychotic (e.g. Kakihara in Ichi the Killer (2001)), he has been described by those who know him as a down-to-earth family man. He has directed commercial TV spots for Chara. Hesistant to identify himself as an actor, he most readily describes himself as a vocalist, referring to Mach 1.67, the band he has w/ director Gakuryû Ishii. He's also an artist & sometimes works as a model, most notably for the Japanese designers Takeo Kikuchi & Jun Takahashi.Tokugawa Ieyasu- Actor
- Stunts
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Sonny Chiba was born as Sadao Maeda in Fukuoka, Japan on January 22, 1939. His father was a military test pilot. During his youth, he had an interest in both theater & gymnastics. He was talented enough to make the Japanese Olympic Team until a chronic back injury ended his career. However, he took a strong interest in karate under the guidance of the Mas Oyama during college & soon earned his first black belt. However, his life changed again when he was discovered during a talent search by Toei Studios in 1960. He soon began his screen career under the name Shinichi Chiba, appearing as the space chief in Uchu Kaisoku-ken. Over the next decade, he busied himself w/ appearances in Japanese crime thrillers, steadily building a reputation for playing hard men of few words & direct actions.
With his proficiency in karate, judo & kenpo, he took advantage of the early 1970s martial arts boom sparked by Bruce Lee. He starred in The Street Fighter (1974), playing a mercenary style street thug who would do anything for a price & take on anyone, even the yakuza. The approach of the film was quite different from the Bruce Lee films in that Lee only eliminated his enemies when he was defending his friends or his honor. Instead, he was only aiming for a fistful of dollars for his deadly services & would engage in mortal combat for the highest bidder, although this often clouded his judgement to his own detriment. The only person the Street Fighter respects is his martial arts teacher, karate master Masaoko who manages to easily out smart & out fight him. Upon its release, the film was criticized for its excessive violence.
A sequel quickly followed w/ him back in Return of the Street Fighter (1974), which was then followed by a third Street Fighter movie starring Etsuko Shihomi in the gritty Sister Street Fighter (1974). There was a fourth & final film in the series Gyakushu Satsujin ken.
He had firmly established himself as a key anti-hero of Asian martial arts cinema who said little & used his fists to sort out his troubles. With the demand high from fans, he remained busy on screen for the next 20 years, starring in numerous Japanese film & TV productions w/ an emphasis on bruising fights, samurai swords, yakuza gangsters & beautiful girls in trouble.
Outside of Japan, the Street Fighter film series has achieved enduring popularity through many midnight cult screenings. Their style heavily influenced Quentin Tarantino. He has used strong references & imagery from the Street Fighter movies in several of his films including True Romance (1993) and Pulp Fiction (1994). When he came around to casting for Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003), he was eager to have Chiba accept the key role of the hot headed & sometimes humorous Okinawan sword maker Hanzo Hattori. He continued to be a major figure & influence in the world-wide passion in martial arts movies for over 3 decades, contributing to the genre by encouraging & training young hopefuls seeking to make their mark on screen.
He passed away on August 19, 2021.Tokugawa Ieyasu- Masahiro Higashide was born on 1 February 1988 in Saitama, Japan. He is an actor, known for Asako I & II (2018), Death Note: Light Up the New World (2016) and Over Drive (2018). He was previously married to Anne Watanabe.Takeda Katsuyori
- Writer
- Producer
- Director
Gregory Widen was born on 30 November 1958 in Los Angeles County, California, USA. He is a writer and producer, known for The Prophecy (1995), Backdraft (1991) and Highlander (1986).- Writer
- Producer
Doug Miro is known for The Great Wall (2016), Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010) and The Uninvited (2009).