The thirty seventh Tokyo Worldwide Movie Competition obtained off to a memorably splashy begin Monday night time with the world premiere of filmmaker Shiraishi Kazuya’s frenetic and wildly bloody samurai motion flick 11 Rebels.
In recent times, Japan’s preeminent cinema occasion has been making an attempt to revitalize and rebrand itself as a not-to-be-missed cultural event within the Asia-Pacific area. After years of organizational drift, the pageant, underneath the management of present chairman Hiroyasu Ando, is on a mission to spice up its attain and fame into one thing extra commensurate with the nation’s highly effective cinematic previous and the ever-growing attraction of Japanese tradition across the globe.
In that sense, 11 Rebels was maybe the right decide for this yr’s opening gala screening. A throw-back samurai slasher, the movie is predicated on a decades-old screenplay by the late, nice scriptwriter Kasahara Kazuo, greatest recognized for his cult traditional yakuza movie Battles With out Honor and Humanity (1973). Over its 2.5 hour-plus runtime, 11 Rebels incorporates a slew of younger rising Japanese stars, relentless swordplay, improvised explosives, some very slashy beheadings and a fancy plot involving political intrigue and various double-crossings.
Produced by Toei, 11 Rebels opens theatrically in Japan on Nov. 1, with a U.S. launch anticipated someday subsequent yr from specialty distributor Nicely Go USA.
The forged of ’11 Rebels’ attend the opening ceremony of the thirty seventh Tokyo Worldwide Movie Competition on Oct. 28, 2024 in Tokyo, Japan.
VCG/VCG through Getty Photos
The movie’s full forged walked the pink carpet within the Japanese capital’s upscale Ginza district forward of the pageant’s official opening ceremony. Shogun star Tadanobu Asano, who will obtain The Hollywood Reporter‘s Trailblazer award at a gala occasion Wednesday night time, was greeted with a hero’s welcome as he stepped out in help of his indie characteristic Ravens, which is able to premiere later this week in an out-of-competition slot on the pageant. Different native stars in attendance included Rinko Kikuchi (Babel, Tokyo Vice), actress Ai Hashimoto, and Irie Yu, the fest’s director in focus for 2024.
Main film figures from elsewhere in Asia have been additionally out in drive. Hong Kong display screen legends Tony Leung and Johnny To, each serving on Tokyo’s important competitors jury this yr, made an look, as did Sylvia Chang and Midi Z of Taiwan, and Zhao Liying of mainland China.
The U.S. movie presence was gentle on opening night time, however Hollywood star energy shall be felt later within the pageant when Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II makes its Asia premiere on the occasion on Nov. 5. The screening is a coup for the Tokyo fest, which used to frequently host Hollywood premieres however suffered a dry spell over the previous decade as the main studio’s shifted their advertising efforts in direction of China’s once-booming field workplace. Gladiator II stars Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington, Fred Hechinger and Connie Nielsen are all anticipated to attend the Tokyo screening.
Contained in the Tokyo’s fest’s opening ceremony, friends have been handled to welcome speeches from Ando and Kikuchi, and an summary of the movie lineup offered by a large anime character who appeared on a screening hanging over the stage.
Prior to now decade, it has been customary for the sitting Japanese prime minister to ship a press release of help to the pageant. Muto Yoji, economic system and commerce minister, appeared in individual on the ceremony and took the stage to hail the current world curiosity in Japanese movies and tv, together with final yr’s Oscar winner Godzilla Minus One and Disney’s hit samurai collection Shogun.
Japan held its basic election over the weekend, leading to a brutal set of outcomes for the ruling Liberal Democratic Celebration, which misplaced its long-held majority. Minister Muto comfortably held on to his seat in Sunday’s election however two of his cupboard colleagues misplaced their seats.
Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who’s now busy attempting to type a coalition authorities following the snap election he fatefully referred to as after being chosen as ruling get together chief final month, despatched a video message to the movie pageant.
Ishiba’s remarks have been greeted warmly by the movie trade figures on the ceremony, as they urged the brand new administration intends to proceed the nationwide authorities’s rising current curiosity in supporting the leisure sector.
“Japan’s content material trade boasts exports on the dimensions of semiconductors,” mentioned Ishiba, who additionally pointed to a Japan-Italy co-production treaty signed lately. “The federal government is working to put the groundwork to additional encourage the event of the Japanese content material trade by supporting the expansion of the subsequent technology of creators and optimizing enterprise transactions,” he added.
