Shinji Hiramatsu's manga series "Black Angels" is getting a straight-to-DVD live-action adaptation, starring actor Motoki Ochiai (20) and °C-ute member Maimi Yajima (18).
Originally serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump between 1981 and 1985, "Black Angels" was an action manga about a group of vigilantes delivering justice to evil-doers who had escaped the law. Ochiai will play the primary role as Yukito, the leader of the group. Yajima has been cast as Reira, the captivating heroine of the story. Other cast members include Hideo Sakaki, Shoichi Honda, and Jiro Sato.
Filming is already in progress. Geneon Universal Entertainment will release the work on DVD in May 2011.
tokyograph
C-ute Members Maimi Yajima in live action Black Angels
Minggu, 12 Desember 2010 | Label: Maimi Yajima
Actress Ryoko Shinohara (37) will return to the big screen with a sequel to the 2007 blockbuster "Unfair the movie," once again playing the lead role as the tough detective Natsumi Yukihira. This is the first time that a work she starred in has received a proper sequel.
"Unfair" started out as a drama series in 2006, averaging 15.4% ratings with a peak of 16.5%. A special episode aired later that year, achieving 18.3% ratings. In 2007, the movie opened in theaters, and it earned 2.72 billion yen at the box office to become the #9 Japanese film of that year.
"Unfair" is a suspenseful story whose central theme is betrayal, primarily targeting the protagonist Natsumi Yukihira. Up until now, the identity of the true culprit behind her suffering has not been revealed, but "Unfair 2" promises to finally shed light on that mastermind.
Returning cast members include Sadao Abe (40), Masaya Kato (47), Susumu Terajima (47), and Teruyuki Kagawa (47), but it is also said that three major characters will be added to the story. Filming is expected to begin in February, with theatrical release planned for fall 2011.
tokyograph
SMAP’s Takuya Kimura’s (38) latest movie is set to be released in several countries across Asia, Europe, and has offers from major US film distributors, it was revealed at the movie’s opening event yesterday in Tokyo, reports Mainichi Shinbum Digital and Sports Hochi.
The star, actress Meisa Kuroki, and the cast of “SPACED BATTLESHIP Yamato” appeared at Yurakucho’s TOHO Cinema theatre in Tokyo yesterday to meet fans on the movie’s opening day where the film’s director Takashi Yamazaki updated the 900 or so crowd on the movie’s worldwide debut.
“I made this movie knowing that I wanted people all over the world to see it so all I can say is, ‘Go, Yamato!’,” he said.
It has been reported the movie has already sealed deals to be shown in France, Germany, Thailand, Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and had recently received an offer from a major Hollywood movie distributor.
Kimura had said he was just as excited as his director about the movie’s international release.
“I hope people can enjoy this Japanese sci-fi movie. I think it has the potential to touch many people in many countries, no matter their age, gender, or nationality,” he said.
A special video message had been sent in from Aerosmith vocalist Steven Tyler, who had sung the movie’s theme song “LOVE LIVES”.
“Takuya! It’s me, Steven. Congratulations on your opening,” he said in the video.
It has been reported that Kimura was in smiles afterwards.
“I’m just so happy. I feel so lucky to have been able to be a part of this project with a cast that I love and a singer I love.
“I don’t think there’ll be many times I’ll hear him (Tyler) call me Takuya so I hope I can take a copy of this video home with me,” he said.
The popstar also commented about the movie’s future voyage.
“I don’t know how far Yamato will travel, but I hope more and more people will go aboard Yamato,” he said.
The movie was released in Japan yesterday in 440 cinemas across the country.
momoedgewood
Actress Aiko Ito (30) announced on her website that she is retiring from show business. She revealed that she already left her agency, Stardust Promotion, at the end of November. Her website is expected to shut down on December 27.
Ito married a businessman in February of this year. She explained that "building a happy home" has become her primary goal, so she decided to retire and focus on supporting her husband. She has also said before that she is looking forward to having children, though she is currently not pregnant.
Ito started off her career about a decade ago as an idol. Her most well-known acting role was as Abare Yellow in the 2003 Super Sentai series Bakuryu Sentai Abaranger. She appeared in several films and dramas after that, though most of her recent television work has been guest appearances or in one-time drama specials.
tokyograph
Model and actress Emi Takei (16) will play a major part in Fuji TV's next Monday night drama, "Taisetsu na Koto wa Subete Kimi ga Oshiete Kureta." The show, revealed a couple weeks ago, stars Erika Toda (22) and Haruma Miura (20) as two young teachers engaged to each other, but Takei will play the student that stands in the way of their relationship.
This will be Takei's first appearance in a drama aired in the "Getsu 9" timeslot. She was reportedly selected from 800 women who auditioned for the role.
Toda and Miura play two teachers, Natsumi Uemura and Shuji Kashiwagi, at the same high school who are set to get married in half a year. However, the night before the school year's opening ceremony, Shuji becomes involved with the young Hikari Saeki (played by Takei), without realizing that she will be a student in his class starting the next day. As Shuji struggles to help Hikari deal with the mental complex she is suffering from, he is also torn inside by his betrayal of Natsumi. Meanwhile, Hikari attempts to get closer to Natsumi, driven by feelings of jealousy and a desire to destroy the couple's relationship.
"Taisetsu na Koto wa Subete Kimi ga Oshiete Kureta" starts airing this January.
tokyograph
Following up on the recent cast announcements for the "Misaki No. 1!!" drama series, one more major cast member has been revealed. Up-and-coming actress Aya Omasa (19) will play the main female student.
The series stars Karina (26) as a hostess who temporarily becomes the teacher for a class of problem students. Omasa has been cast as a student named Yui Sakurai, the only girl in a group known as the "ochikobore 5-nin-gumi" (which can be loosely translated as the "Failure Five"). Her energetic character acts like an older sister to the boys in the group, which include the previously announced Kis-My-Ft2 members Taisuke Fujigaya (23) and Hiromitsu Kitayama (25).
Although Omasa has been acting since 2006, she achieved mainstream popularity with her role as the heroine of the drama series "Yamato Nadeshiko Shichihenge" earlier this year. Since then, she was given starring roles in two upcoming films, "Usotsuki Mi-kun to Kowareta Ma-chan" (opening January 2) and "Keitai Deka: The Movie 3" (opening February 5). She also has a supporting role in the live-action "Paradise Kiss" movie, set to open in May.
The "Misaki No. 1!!" drama series premieres in January.
tokyograph
Actress and 9nine member Umika Kawashima (16) has landed the lead role in a television drama series for the first time. She is set to star in TBS's "Heaven's Flower," which will also feature D-BOYS member Hirofumi Araki (27) and actor Go Ayano (28).
Set in the near-futuristic 2060, "Heaven's Flower" combines mystery with a pure love story. Due to a botched experiment, Japan has become a barren land where flowers can't even bloom, resulting in a severe rationing crisis. While the country works towards rebuilding, "District 7" is one of the areas left behind in the process.
The story unfolds in the neglected District 7. Despite Kawashima's typical innocent image from her previous works, here she takes on her first "villain" role as a cruel and emotionless assassin named Ai, part of a group known as "Last Garden." While faithfully carrying out her missions every day, she encounters the police detective Yuichiro Manaka (Araki), and she suddenly must deal with her newfound emotion of love. The ensuing story is a romantic mystery involving betrayal and the secret behind her birth.
Ayano plays the police organization's commanding officer Shion. His counterpart, the leader of "Last Garden," will be played by actress Yoshiko Mita (69), who has not had a recurring role in a drama series since "Ima, Ai ni Yukimasu" in 2006. Hirotaro Honda (59) has been cast as Ai's greatest enemy, the boss of a Chinese mafia.
Kawashima got her acting start in 2006 and has appeared in dramas such as "Bloody Monday" and "Kaibutsu-kun." Although she has starred in a mobile phone drama as well as two movies, she admitted that she feels pressure since this is her first starring TV role. She will also be training for some action scenes, which include the use of a pistol and fighting with a knife at close range.
"Heaven's Flower" premieres on January 14, airing every week in the "Friday Break" time slot (12:20am-12:50am).
tokyograph
Langganan:
Postingan (Atom)
