Tag: Jonathan van Tulleken

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‘Blade Runner 2099’: Amazon Taps ‘Shōgun’ Director Jonathan Van Tulleken As New Helmer For Their Ambitious Cyberpunk Spinoff Series

While we’ve all been anticipating any sort of casting update concerning Amazon‘s live-action “Blade Runner” spinoff series “Blade Runner 2099,” there has been a bit of a creative shake-up as Deadline reports that “Shōgun” director Jonathan Van Tulleken has joined the sci-fi thriller streaming series and there is an expectation that filming might finally begin in Prague around the spring/summer of this year after multiple production delays. Moving from its original production home of Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Van Tulleken will replace the series’ previous director Jeremy Podeswa of “Station Eleven,” who is said to have exited over “scheduling issues.” His mature samurai series reboot, “Shōgun,” is already getting some major buzz from critics ahead of its late February debut on Hulu and on Disney+ internationally.

Welcome to 'Blade Runner' year, now where are my damn off-world colonies | Mashable

As the title suggests, the Amazon series will take place 50 years after the events of Denis Villeneuve‘s impressive sequel “Blade Runner 2049” which starred Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, Jared Leto, Ana de Armas, Sylvia Hoeks, and Robin Wright. Silka Luisa is the writer and showrunner with Michael Green (“Blade Runner 2049”) serving as an executive producer. Details are unknown, but in 2049 it’s revealed that there are nine off-world colonies none of which we have explored in live-action, so far. Given the 50-year time jump there is the potential for “Blade Runner 2099” to explore both Los Angeles and these off-world colonies that have been consistently teased over the last 40+ years. They are considered a hellish place for replicants as they’re used as slave labor in various mining operations and end up being also used as pawns in various off-world wars. In “2049,” there were hints of a replicant uprising being planned that could see Wallace’s new wave of androids rebelling against their human overlords across the galaxy.

The series hails from Alcon Entertainment and Ridley Scott’s production company Scott Free Productions. Scott as you might remember helped launch the “Blade Runner” franchise in 1982 with the first film (A loose adaptation of the Philip K. Dick story “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?”) becoming a bit of a cult smash on home video after a disastrous theatrical release which could be due to the horrendous voice-over element from Harrison Ford that would be removed from subsequent television and director cuts of the cyberpunk classic.

“Shōgun” looks to be just as big of a technical giant for a director to execute which could be a strong reason why Van Tulleken was selected as the new helmer. Now, with a director firmly set, the next phase will be filling out the show’s cast.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

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‘Shogun’: ‘F9’ Actress Anna Sawai & ‘Thor: Ragnarok’s Tadanobu Asano Join The FX Samurai Series

FX has been working on a new series remake of Shōgun that originally aired back in 1980 and starred legendary Japanese actor Toshiro Mifune (Yojimbo, Seven Samurai) as Lord Yoshii Toranaga. Their new incarnation of the samurai series will be led by Hiroyuki Sanada and British actor Cosmo Jarvis.

Shōgun is set in feudal Japan. It charts the collision of two ambitious men from different worlds and a mysterious female samurai: John Blackthorne (Jarvis), a risk-taking English sailor who ends up shipwrecked in Japan, a land whose unfamiliar culture will ultimately redefine him; Lord Toranaga (Sanada), a shrewd, powerful daimyo, at odds with his own dangerous, political rivals; and Lady Mariko, a woman with invaluable skills but dishonorable family ties who must prove her value and allegiance.

It was written by Justin Marks and Rachel Kondo, which is based on the iconic novel from author James Clavell.

A casting update from The Hollywood Reporter has revealed that actress Anna Sawai (F9: The Fast Saga) will be playing the show’s female lead, Lady Mariko.

Other additions include Tadanobu Asano, Fumi Nikaido, Tokuma Nishioka, Takehiro Hira, Ako, Shinnosuke Abe, Yasunari Takeshima, Hiroto Kanai, Toshi Toda, Hiro Kanagawa, Néstor Carbonell, Yuki Kura, Tommy Bastow, Moeka Hoshi, Yoriko Doguchi, and Yuka Kouri.

The Ronin exclusively reported the series would be directed by Reprisal’s Jonathan van Tulleken.

Filming is underway in Vancouver and there have been some indications that some second unit filming in Japan is on the table.

Production kicked-off in late September and is expected to wrap in April 2022.

Sanada also has a role in Keanu Reeves’ John Wick: Chapter 4 and will appear in David Leitch’s Japanese-set action pic Bullet Train starring Brad Pitt. Other Hollywood credits include Westworld, The Last Samurai, Mortal Kombat, Army of The Dead, The Wolverine, Avengers: Endgame, Sunshine, Rush Hour 2, and 47 Ronin.

SOURCE: THR

Posted on in Television News

EXCLUSIVE: FX’s Samurai Series ‘Shōgun’ Adds ‘Reprisal’ Director Jonathan van Tulleken

FX is finally moving forward with their long-gestating series remake of Shōgun that originally aired back in 1980 and starred legendary Japanese actor Toshiro Mifune (Yojimbo, Seven Samurai) as Lord Yoshii Toranaga. Their new incarnation of the samurai series will be led by Hiroyuki Sanada and British actor Cosmo Jarvis.

It was written by Justin Marks and Rachel Kondo, which is based on the novel from author James Clavell.

Shōgun is set in feudal Japan. It charts the collision of two ambitious men from different worlds and a mysterious female samurai: John Blackthorne (Jarvis), a risk-taking English sailor who ends up shipwrecked in Japan, a land whose unfamiliar culture will ultimately redefine him; Lord Toranaga (Sanada), a shrewd, powerful daimyo, at odds with his own dangerous, political rivals; and Lady Mariko, a woman with invaluable skills but dishonorable family ties who must prove her value and allegiance.

The Ronin can exclusively reveal that director Jonathan van Tulleken (Trust, Misfits, Top Boy, Reprisal) has signed on to the samurai series and will helm an undisclosed amount of episodes.

Sanada is currently busy with Chad Stahelski’s John Wick: Chapter 4 taking a role alongside franchise star Keanu Reeves and will appear in David Leitch’s Japanese-set action pic Bullet Train starring Brad Pitt. Other Hollywood credits include Westworld, The Last Samurai, Mortal Kombat, Army of The Dead, The Wolverine, Avengers: Endgame, Sunshine, Rush Hour 2, and 47 Ronin.

Production on will take place from late August to June of next year in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Speaking of Toshiro Mifune, Bryan Cogman (Game of Thrones, Amazon’s Lord of The Rings) is developing a contemporary series remake of Akira Kurosawa’s classic Yojimbo, that originally starred Mifune. Remakes from the west aren’t new for Yojimbo, as Sergio Leone did his version with A Fist Full of Dollars starring Clint Eastwood and there is the lesser known gangster version Last Man Standing from director Walter Hill that starred Bruce Willis.

Shōgun likely won’t be ready to drop until later in 2022.