’72 Hours’ Director Kitao Sakurai To Helm ‘Accidental Joe’

EXCLUSIVE: Following the critical acclaim of his Netflix comedy Bad Trip, director Kitao Sakurai has set his sights on his next major studio pic, being set to helm 72 Hours for Sony Pictures. John Davis is producing through his Davis Entertainment banner along with Cobra Kai creators Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg and Josh Heald through their Counterbalance Entertainment. Davis Entertainment’s John Fox and Jeremy Stein are executive producing.

While the plot is being kept under wraps, top-tier talent already is lining up, given the heat behind Bad Trip and Cobra Kai. Hurwitz and Schlossberg wrote the original screenplay for 72 Hours, with rewrites by Nicholas Thomas.

Sakurai has been a rising star in directing circles and gained support from his peers after directing and executive producing The Eric Andre Show for Adult Swim. Following that success, Andre and Sakurai teamed up on Netflix’s top comedy Bad Trip, directed and co-written by Sakurai and starring Andre. Sakurai also recently directed episodes from Season 2 of Dave and B.J. Novak’s series Platform on FX.

Davis Entertainment recently finished shooting the Predator origin movie for 20th Century Studios and Hulu as well as The Uglies, based on the best-selling book series, with McG directing and Joey King starring at Netflix. Harold and the Purple Crayon, with Zac Levi starring and Carlos Saldhana directing, is shooting with Sony Pictures.

Counterbalance Entertainment’s Hurwitz, Schlossberg and Heald are the creative force behind several successful film and television series. They are the creators, executive producers and showrunners of Netflix’s Emmy-nominated hit series, Cobra Kai, which reimagined The Karate Kid for a new audience. Heald penned the Hot Tub Time Machine franchise for MGM, and Hurwitz and Schlossberg were behind New Line’s popular Harold & Kumar film franchise, as well as hit comedies Blockers and American Reunion.

In addition to Cobra Kai, the production company, with Dina Hillier as the Head of Development and Creative Executive Julia Virtue, is developing projects under their overall deal at Sony Pictures Television. Last summer the team released the road-trip comedy Plan B for Hulu. The company also will produce a feature film adaptation of History’s long-running series Ancient Aliens with Legendary, with Heald set to direct.

Sakurai is repped by 3Arts, UTA, and attorney Isaac Dunham. Heald, Hurwitz and Schlossberg are repped by Joe Cohen for TV at CAA. Heald’s attorney is Howard Abramson of Behr Abramson Levy. Hurwitz and Schlossberg’s attorney is Adam Kaller of Hansen Jacobson Teller. Thomas is repped by Management 360 and McKuin Frankel Whitehead.