Synopsis
Nagasaki, 1964. After the death of his father, the leader of a yakuza gang, 14-year-old Kikuo is taken under the wing of a famous Kabuki actor. Alongside Shunsuke, the actor’s only son, Kikuo decides to dedicate himself to this traditional form of theatre. Across decades, the two young men grow and evolve together – from acting school to the grandest stages – amid scandals and glory, brotherhood and betrayals, as each pushes to become the greatest living Kabuki master.
From acclaimed director Sang-il Lee (Pachinko), KOKUHO (meaning “national treasure”) is a film of awe-inspiring scope and sumptuous beauty, and a monument to the artists who would sacrifice everything in the pursuit of the ultimate performance.
Cast
| Kikuo Tachibana (Toichiro Hanai) | Ryo Yoshizawa |
| Shunsuke Ogaki (Hanya Hanai) | Ryusei Yokohama |
| Young Kikuo | Soya Kurokawa |
| Young Shunsuke | Keitatsu Koshiyama |
| Harue Fukuda | Mitsuki Takahata |
| Akiko | Nana Mori |
| Sachiko Ogaki | Shinobu Terajima |
| Mangiku Onogawa | Min Tanaka |
| Hanjiro Hanai | Ken Watanabe |
Production
| Director | Sang-il Lee |
| Screenplay | Satoko Okudera |
| Original Novel By | Shuichi Yoshida |
| Cinematography By | Sofian El Fani |
| Production Design By | Yohei Taneda |
| Executive Producers | Atsuhiro Iwakami Nobuhiko Ito Hiroyuki Araki Minami Ichikawa Akihito Watanabe Shinzo Matsuhashi |
| Developed And Produced By | Chieko Murata |
| Producer | Shinzo Matsuhashi |
About
Previously announced as Japan’s official submission for Best International Feature at the 98th Academy Awards, the smash-hit live action feature is directed by Sang-il Lee (Pachinko Season 2, Hula Girls, Rage), and stars Ryo Yoshizawa (Kingdom), Ryusei Yokohama (Your Eyes Tell), and Ken Watanabe (The Last Samurai). The film marks a breakthrough performance for lead actor Ryo Yoshizawa, who trained 18 months in the art and history of Kabuki theater, to embody the role of Kikuo, an actor pursuing greatness at all costs, in a story of glory and heartbreak that spans decades.
The film is produced by Aniplex Inc. and Myriagon Studio, and international sales are handled by Pyramide International. GKIDS announced their acquisition for North America just prior to the film’s North American debut at the Toronto International Film Festival, and marks a historical new phase for GKIDS as its first live-action contemporary film, after several successful re-releases of catalog Japanese live action films including SHIN GODZILLA and Linda Linda Linda.
Upon its domestic release in Japan in June, KOKUHO has become a box office phenomenon, grossing over $100 million (8.17 million admissions) as of September 29th, marking the film as the second-highest grossing Japanese live-action film of all time.
KOKUHO held its world debut at Cannes in Directors’ Fortnight and subsequently played as an official selection at the Shanghai International Film Festival, followed by its North American debut at the Toronto International Film Festival. The film will be playing at AFI Fest next month. In November, Director Sang-il Lee will receive the Akira Kurosawa Award at the Tokyo International Film Festival, which recognizes filmmakers who will guide the industry into the future.