John Woo will produce and direct Day of the Beast, a remake of the 1963 film Youth of the Beast. Rob Frisbee wrote the script, with Terence Chang and Nikkatsu’s Naoki Soto on board as producers. (Nikkatsu is Japan’s oldest major movie studio, celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.)
Announcing the remake, Woo stated: “This remake is my salute to the great films and filmmakers produced by Nikkatsu’s 100 years in cinema history. It is exciting for me as well as an honor.”
Nikkatsu president Naoki Sato said, “Among Nikkatsu’s 6,000+ film library, this is one of our most revered titles. We have a tremendous amount of respect for Mr. Woo and are excited he is directing this film for the international market. We think this is a great way to start off the next 100 years of filmmaking history!”
Producer Terence Chang added, “Seijun Suzuki’s Youth of the Beast is one of my favorite films, and I have been obsessed with remaking it for over 10 years! I have to thank Nikkatsu for this partnership and for making this dream come true!”
The Plot:
Day of the Beast follows a western outsider with a grim past as he becomes embroiled in a global turf war between a vicious new breed of Yakuza and old school Cold War Russian mobsters. It’s an action-packed saga of loyalty, revenge and redemption which erupts in the heart of Tokyo.
Source: Lion Rock Productions and Nikkatsu Corporation
