EXCLUSIVE: Kamala Films has acquired film rights to the Kazuo Koike-created 1970s Japanese manga Lone Wolf and Cub, attaching David & Janet Peoples to write the script. Fast Five‘s Justin Lin had already been attached to direct. Kamala’s Marissa McMahon will produce with 1212 Entertainment’s Elizabeth Grave and Joshua Long, with Roberto Grande exec producing.
The original was set feudal Edo period, and chronicles the story of Ogami Itto, the Shogun’s elite executioner. In an attempt to take his position, the rival Yagyu clan falsely accuses Itto of a crime and murders his wife. Disgraced, Itto is forced to wander Japan with his three-year-old son Daigoro as an assassin for hire, earning the title “Lone Wolf and Cub.” Ultimately, Itto and Daigoro seek revenge on the Yagyu clan. Koike’s manga, published in the United States by Dark Horse Comics, is considered a seminal work.
The film marks the first collaboration between Kamala Films and 1212 Entertainment. Kamala is currently in development on Jeff Guinn’s Go Down Together: The True, Untold Story of Bonnie and Clyde with Furst Films, and the screen adaptation of the Curtis Sittenfeld novel American Wife with Red Crown. 1212 is producing an adaptation of the Taito video game Space Invaders.
The scribes have storied credits including Blade Runner, Unforgiven and Twelve Monkeys, while Lin is working on Universal’s sixth installment of The Fast and the Furious. “I’ve long admired the Peoples and their enduring body of work,” Lin said. “They’re a wonderful match for Lone Wolf and Cub and I’m really looking forward to collaborating with them on this powerful, epic tale.” CAA reps the writers and Lin and the helmer’s also repped by Cinetic and Sloss Eckhouse LawCo.
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great source material that will never get made. but good luck to all.
Well, they were made into movies once, it can happen again. I hope they have faith in the material, though and don’t try to veer too far away from it. It’s one of, if not my favorite, graphic novel series.
I’m skeptical the rights for this have been fully acquired. This particular property has been mired in rights disputes for years, and it has a complex history in Japan. I doubt this is real. It’s definitely not the first time this property has been developed with directors attached when the rights weren’t really secured.
There were a series of movies made from those stories starring Tomisaburô Wakayama as Ogami Itto
they were very graphic and done with a style that didn’t require the reading of sub-titles. I think a remake has it’s work cut out for it.
i get the feeling this won’t be made for awhile partially due to casting troubles. i won’t be surprised if they try to cast white actors and then there is a whole uproar over miscasting and so forth, thereby causing further delay.
I don’t believe there any better writers in town than the Peoples…
Look at those f’n credits. My God. Most writers in town would kill just have one of those…
Can’t wait to see this. I thought the People’s might be in retirement — but glad to see I am wrong.
I wonder what part of the U.S. they will set the story in and what white actors they will cast.
I hope they use an all caucasian cast and set it in modern Chicago.
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I hope they make it PG-13
YES. Agreed.
So you’ve all forgotten the (inspired by) movie “Road To Perdition”. While I really liked that version of the story, I just can’t imagine a true and honest adaption without the proper cultural and religious signposts throughout the movie. They really do shape it into an epic story.
Actually, Itto decides to take on disgrace by becoming an assassin rather than committing seppuku so that he can revenge on the Yagyu clan.
Just saying…
Are they going to cast a white guy for the role?
No, no. Of course not. Someone Asian-ish… like Johnny Depp or Keanu Reeves.
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Hey Keanu is part Asian so there won’t be any complaints if he’s cast as the lead. Remember he’s in another Samurai film that’s coming out later this year, 47 Ronin.
Nah, it’ll be set in L.A., star Channing Tatum, instead of a sword he’ll pack a Magnum, and instead of a baby it’ll be a Jack Russell terrier. And McG will direct it.
Oh, and the Peoples will be gone after they turn in their first draft.
Being one quarter Asian is sure to make him box office poison. Way too Asian. Not enough ‘ish. I take him off my list.
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With Justin Lin attached, I’m sure he’ll fight for at the very least a half Asian lead, if not a full Asian. This is a guy who turned down the last incarnation of The Mummy franchise (smart move, btw) because the idiot studio execs insisted the Asian female lead wind up with the Caucasian boy. Mr. Lin said, “Not on my watch, biatches!” Amen, brother!
He’s the perfect director to bring this to the screen.
In Justin we trust!
I am a film fanatic. The classic film adaptations of Lone Wolf and Cub are among the greatest films ever made. They received cult status and attention due to hip hop’s RZA and Wu-Tang clan’s shameless sampling of the poorly dubbed
import version ” Shogun Assasin”. I heard Darren Aronofsky wanted the rights to direct years back, but it fell through due to Japanese legal issues etc. I have a feeling Vin Diesel will end up playing Ogami or “the Crock” Dwayne. The only acceptable actor would be Ken watanabe with lots of makeup. PLEASE use a REAL director on this one people, the writers are great, but Jin is OK at best. Aronofsky would be perfect! Please don’t f this ip Hollywood, I might have to come out there and start collecting 500 gold pieces..,