Director Kitano working on new yakuza movie

Source: Tokyograph.com & Sanspo.com

"Director Takeshi Kitano has revealed some details about his next movie, which is already in production. Currently untitled, this one will mark a return to his violent yakuza films.

Kitano made his debut as a director 20 years ago with "Violent Cop." He became well known for his films about yakuza, though his last one was "Brother" in 2001. Since then, he has focused more on introspective pieces such as "Kantoku Banzai!" and his most recent, "Achilles to Kame."



Kitano, who wrote the script, has cast himself as the star. The story revolves around several yakuza members trying to survive in that violent world, resulting in a power struggle full of politics and treachery.

Besides Kitano, the main yakuza characters will be played by Tomokazu Miura, Kippei Shiina, and Ryo Kase. Others include Soichiro Kitamura, Renji Ishibashi, and Jun Kunimura, while Fumiyo Kohinata plays a police detective.

Filming started on August 23, with a theatrical release planned for 2010. The movie is reportedly being distributed jointly between Office Kitano and Warner Bros., which likely means it is being geared for international release."