Deadline reports a serious update for the cool Yakuza flick The Outsider. The film centered on an former American G.I. who ends up working for the Japanese Yakuza. They say that legendary director Takashi Miike (13 Assassins, Audition, Ichi The Killer, Straw Shield) will make his first English film which will have Tom Hardy attached for the lead role.
Deadline reports that Tom Hardy (Inception, Dark Knight Rises) has signed on to star in Daniel Espinosa's (Snabba Cash, Safe House) Child 44. A thriller which could be similar to Hardy's role in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. A security officer and war hero who believes in the Soviet system and the law. That is until he uncovers the existence of a mass murderer, and he is thwarted by that system he has sworn to serve, because they have no interest in acknowledging that murders are taking place in a country perpetuating the myth of a crime free utopia. THR adds that Noomi Rapace (Prometheus) is being looked at for the female lead. Noomi and Tom recently signed on to star together in another film Animal Rescue. Production is looking to begin in May.
Daniel Espinosa is also attached to direct the WWII era yakuza thriller The Outsider. Setup at Warner Bros. the film focuses on an American former prisoner-of-war who rises in the yakuza in post-World War II Japan. Michael Fassbender is attached to star as the American. Sounds like The Outsider has been delayed because of Fassbender's shooting of X-Men: Days of Future Past.
Variety reports that The Outsider has been picked up Silver Pictures for Universal. The WWII era film focuses on an American P.O.W. released from a prison camp by the Yakuza for him to work for the criminal organization. It was originally setup at Warner Bros. with Daniel Espinosa (Safe House, Snabba Cash) and they say Daniel is still keen on sticking with the project. Michael Fassbender and Tom Hardy had been in talks for the lead but their involvement is unknown.
Director John Woo made a name for himself with Hong Kong action epics like The Killer and Hard Boiled. The main theme of these films were the extensive brutal world of underground mobsters. His biggest successes in Hollywood was Face/Off and Mission: Impossible 2 while films like Windtalkers and Paycheck failed to find audiences. Woo had been focusing on another WWII film and released a two part Chinese epic titled Red Cliff. Deadline reports Woo is set to direct Day of The Beast which is a remake of the 1963 Japanese crime thriller Youth of The Beast from legendary director Seijun Suzuki. If successful, I wouldn't be shocked to see this become a franchise as Suzuki had a rather large amount of films set in the Yakuza genre.
A western outsider with a grim past as he becomes embroiled in a global turf war between a vicious new breed of Yakuza and old school Cold War Russian mobsters. It’s an action-packed saga of loyalty, revenge and redemption which erupts in the heart of Tokyo.
Seemingly the Japanese hit Outrage has sparked this new interest in the Yakuza sub-genre. Fox's comic book film The Wolverine is expected to explore samurai culture along with the underbelly of the criminal culture of the Yakuza. Universal Pictures has set Gavin O'Connor (Warrior) to write/direct a thriller Yakzua which will also explore this criminal world in Japan. Warner Bros. (distributed Outrage) has their own Yakuza film The Outsider with Swedish director Daniel Espinosa (Snabba Cash, Safe House) attached to direct with Michael Fassbender (Shame, The Counselor, Prometheus, X-Men First Class) wanted for the lead. The Outsider focuses on a WWII POW who is broken out by the Yakuza and is forced to work for them.
Variety is reporting some rather large updates on the development of Warner Bros' The Outsider. The WWII era action film takes place in Japan with the backdrop of the notorious Yakuza. They say the studio is in early talks with Swedish director Daniel Espinosa to helm the period action film. It movie focuses on a WWII POW, who is broken out by the Yakuza and forces him to work for the criminal syndicate. Andrew Baldwin will write the script and is also working with WB and director Nicolas Winding Refn on their remake of Logan's Run.
Espinosa burst onto the screen when his Swedish crime thriller Snabba Cash quickly became one of the coolest films of 2011. Cash is now heading towards a trilogy with the second film starring Joel Kinnaman expected to release sometime this year. He would eventually land his first Hollywood gig Safe House directing Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds in the CIA thriller that ended up with #1 spot.
Another interesting aspect is that the studio is looking at Michael Fassbender for the lead role. Previously it was reported Leonardo DiCaprio was being eyed for the role but it looks like Warners is hedging their bets with other options. Fassbender has already lined up roles for the spring/summer with Ridley Scott's The Counselor going first than a supporting role in Steve McQueen's 12 Years A Slave. The Outsider would be excellent film for Michael as he can fire on sides here. I feel like this could be the next Eastern Promises mets Departed if done properly. Also, the move to hire a cast mostly made up of Japanese actors is the best way to go here. The studio distributed the hard boiled Yakuza film Outrage domestically and it would awesome to see those actors in Outsider as well.
