Netflix has revealed the release date and trailer for its live-action adaptation of Last Samurai Standing, based on the novel and manga Ikusagami from creator Shogo Imamura.
Directed by Michihito Fujii, Kento Yamaguchi, Toru Yamamoto, and starring Junichi Okada (who also works as co-executive producer and action choreographer), the adaptation is set in post-samurai era Japan. It’s 1878, a little more than a decade since samurai were outlawed, stripped of their swords and privileges. No longer welcomed, the age of the samurai was considered to be very much over. That is, until a flyer appeared in every corner of Japan, promising those skilled in martial arts riches beyond their wildest dreams: 100 billion yen.
For wandering warriors at a loose end, there’s little other choice but to follow the money. But for our protagonist Shujiro Saga (Junichi Okada), there’s an even bigger incentive: the possibility of saving his ailing wife and child. Alongside Shujiro, 292 fallen samurai head to Kyoto, where they are lured into a deadly game that will leave few of them alive.
Speaking about his multifaceted role in the drama, Okada said, “When Netflix executive producer Mr. Takahashi reached out to me, I was still acting in historical dramas. Back then, I was already thinking of ways to make this genre a hit, not just in Japan, but all over the world. I saw their potential for action, drama, social commentary, and entertainment, but I knew they could be taken further. That’s when I came across Imamura’s novel. It was written in a way that modern audiences could enjoy, and I was excited about the idea of adapting it.”
Tales of people being pushed to the brink for monetary gain have been hits on Netflix, just look at Squid Game. Last Samurai Standing aims to capture the same sentiment, set against the backdrop of the 19th-century Meiji period. Let’s see if Netflix can pull it off yet again.
Last Samurai Standing premieres on Netflix this Nov. 13.
