Key Insights
- Film Overview: Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo is directed by Takashi Miike and features a complex narrative involving a corrupt police officer and an FBI investigation.
- Cast Details: The film stars Shun Oguri, Lily James, and Liv Morgan, alongside other notable actors.
- Production Team: The movie is produced by a collaboration of experienced filmmakers, including Jeremy Thomas and Sam Pressman.
- Franchise Background: This installment adds to the legacy of the Bad Lieutenant franchise, which began with Abel Ferrara’s controversial original.
Eleven months have passed since Takashi Miike, the Japanese director behind films such as Audition and Ichi the Killer, went into production on Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo – and while we still haven’t heard a specific release date for the movie, we do know that NEON will be bringing it to theatres in the United States sometime later this year. While we wait to receive those release details, the first poster for the movie has been unveiled, and you can check it out at the bottom of this article.
Cast and Synopsis
For this installment in the unexpected franchise, we will follow the Bad Lieutenant (Shun Oguri), a corrupt gambler in the Metropolitan Police Force, who finds himself thrown into a tangled case after an enigmatic FBI agent (Lily James) arrives in Tokyo to investigate the disappearance of a politician’s daughter (Liv Morgan). Meanwhile, a deviant killer operating in the yakuza underworld seems to be shadowing their moves. Miike’s frequent collaborator Daisuke Tengan wrote the screenplay.
Shun Oguri, Lily James, and WWE superstar Liv Morgan are joined in the cast by Nihi, Harmeet Obhrai, Shotaro Mamiya, Shuhei Nomura, Nanase Nishino, Yuka Mukari, Takanori Iwata, Keisuke Watanabe, Hideo Nakano, Jun Murakami, and Jun Kunimura.
The film was produced by Jeremy Thomas for Recorded Picture Company, Sam Pressman for Pressman Film, Naoaki Kitajima for Nippon Television, and Misako Saka for OLM.
Statements
When Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo was about to go into production, Miike said, “A team of incredibly talented actors and crew has gathered in Tokyo. Now. I’m about to throw a fastball straight down the middle of your strike zone – no tricks, no gimmicks. I’m confident we are about to break through every limit, to create unforgettable entertainment. Get ready for the ride with us.“
Oguri has said, “Director Miike is a really cool person, and it was a very meaningful time to be able to work on a project with him again. Acting in English was a challenge for me, but Lily James, who stayed in Japan for this project, approached the work with such sincerity that it was very enjoyable, and I was very excited every day. During those whirlwind few days of filming, I felt like I truly lived as Yabuki. Yabuki is certainly not a commendable character, but in a way, his desperate attempts to live life to the fullest and turn his life around are beautiful.“
James added, “This character was completely different from any I’ve played before, and it was a very challenging and refreshing experience. There were many moments when I was struck by Oguri’s acting, and his acting ability was truly delicate and moving. I feel incredibly fortunate to have traveled with him on this project and lived through this crazy story together. Director Miike is a legend, yet wonderfully generous, and he gave me a sense of security and confidence. It was truly enjoyable to create this film together, and working with Director Miike was a moment of great significance in my life. I will cherish this experience.“
Franchise
Directed by Abel Ferrara from a script he wrote with Zoë Lund, the original Bad Lieutenant starred Harvey Keitel as a corrupt New York police officer. Due to its unsettling content, graphic violence, drug use, and full frontal Keitel, the film stirred up controversy and received NC-17 rating when it was released in 1992.
It was producer Edward R. Pressman who felt this concept had franchise potential and moved forward with further installments against Ferrara’s wishes. Werner Herzog was hired to direct 2009’s Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans from a script by William Finkelstein. That one starred Nicolas Cage as drug-addicted New Orleans cop Terence McDonagh.
Now, we have Takashi Miike’s Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo coming our way. I actually like the idea of a franchise being built out of different directors being given the chance to do whatever they want with the idea of a “Bad Lieutenant,” and think these movies could come out at a faster pace than one every 17 years.
Are you looking forward to Takashi Miike’s Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo? Check out the first poster, then let us know by leaving a comment below.
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