EXCLUSIVE: Neon is set to start filming Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo in May, directed by Takashi Miike (known for Audition and 13 Assassins). The thriller will feature Shun Oguri (Godzilla v. Kong, No Longer Human), Lily James (Pam and Tommy, Yesterday), and WWE star Liv Morgan (Gionna Daddio).
This film will be a collaboration between the U.S. and Japan, produced by Jeremy Thomas for Recorded Picture Company, Sam Pressman for Pressman Film, Naoaki Kitajima for Nippon TV, and Misako Saka for OLM. The executive producers include Tom Quinn, Yuzo Kuwahara, Tetsu Fujimura, Paula Paizes, Alainée Kent, Peter Watson, Ivan Kelava, Max Loeb, and Mike Apgar. The arrangement was facilitated by Neon’s Sarah Colvin, VP of Acquisitions, alongside Paula Paizes and Ivan Kelava from Pressman Film and Recorded Picture Company.
Neon will release the movie in North American theaters and manage international sales rights at Cannes this month.
The screenplay is by Daisuke Tengan (Audition, 13 Assassins) and adapts the intellectual property first crafted by Edward R. Pressman. The story follows the character of Bad Lieutenant (Oguri), a morally corrupt member of the Metropolitan Police Force, who gets entangled in a complex case after a mysterious FBI agent (James) comes to Tokyo to investigate a missing politician’s daughter (Morgan). Simultaneously, a twisted killer from the yakuza underworld seems to be tracking their every move.
“We have an exceptional team of actors and crew coming together in Tokyo. I’m ready to deliver an exhilarating experience—honestly, no frills. I believe we’re on the brink of something groundbreaking,” Miike expressed with enthusiasm.
“We’re truly excited to reinterpret this legendary IP under the guidance of a master like Takashi Miike,” remarked producer Jeremy Thomas from Recorded Picture Company. “Japan has been a rich landscape for film, proven by our previous successes. I believe now is the perfect moment for this unorthodox and ambitious project.”
Following a successful awards season with Sean Baker’s Anora, which won five Oscars including Best Picture, Neon continues to make headlines. Upcoming titles being showcased at the French film festival include Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value, Julia Ducournau’s Alpha, Raoul Peck’s Orwell, and Michael Angelo Covino’s Splitsville.
