Warner Japan to produce "The Last Chushingura"

By Siewaun
Reference: Tokyograph

Warner Japan has announced that the studio will produce a period drama based on a famous true tale of samurai revenge, "The Last Chushingura" (Saigo no Chushingura).

Director Shigemichi Sugita "From the North Country" (Kita no kuni kara) has been hired to direct the movie based on a novel by Shoichiro Ikemiya. Koji Yakusho "Shall We Dance?" will star alongside Koichi Sato "Sukiyaki Western Django", Narumi Yasuda and Koji Yamamoto, reports Tokyograph.

The movie focuses on warrior Seo Magozaemon (Koji Yakusho), who flees on the night before the raid, and Terasaka Kichiemon (Koichi Sato), a loyal retainer who goes into hiding after the attack. They meet again 16 years after the event.

Shooting will start on Nov. 11 in Kyoto, and scheduled for release in 2011.

The Chushingura story is about Forty-seven Ronin with mission to avenge their master's unjustly execution. It was popularized in numerous plays including bunraku and kabuki. The play has been made into a movie many times starting from 1910. The most recent one was the 1994 movie starring Ken Takakura, titled "The 47 Ronin." It was also made into TV series many times starting with 1999 49-episode TV series of the Chūshingura entitled "Genroku Ryoran".