As has been rumored for a few months, Ken Watanabe will play the leading role in Clint Eastwood's "Red Sun Black Sand", story of the battle of Iwo Jima in WWII. The film is the companion piece of "Flags of Our Fathers", which is about the iconic soldiers who raised the American flag in Iwo Jima, and "Red Sun" looks at the same battle from the different side, based on the letter exchanges between the Japanese leader who defended the island and his family back home.
In addition to Watanabe, several other actors such as Shido Nakamura, Kazunari Ninomiya, Tsuyoshi Ihara, and Ryo Kase are known to be in the film so far.
The lines will be mostly in Japanese, and the filming will start from March 13 in Los Angeles.
See Ryuganji for more detailed report.
Source: SANSPO
Ganbare Ken NiNo Shido
Yes, Kazunari no Kazuya
Posted by: herosato | May 01, 2006 at 09:32 AM
can't wait to see nino act in this movie!!!!!
Posted by: santy | May 01, 2006 at 01:33 AM
It would be really nice to see him again in another major role. He was excellent in The Last Samurai, but I really enjoyed watching him in the Memoirs of a Geisha.
Posted by: TE | April 17, 2006 at 03:18 PM
i can't wait to see nino in this movie! he's extremely talented in acting! luv his dramas and movies!
Posted by: TYS | March 25, 2006 at 02:03 PM
Thanks for your comment, RC. It will also provide a great oppourtunity to other Japanese actors for international exposure, just as "The Last Samurai" did for Ken, Hiroyuki Sanada and Koyuki. I am looking forward to this one.
Posted by: Michi | March 14, 2006 at 02:30 PM
I think this is pretty cool...ken will do a great job!
--RC of strangeculture.blogspot.com
Posted by: RC | March 13, 2006 at 10:18 PM
Thank you for pointint out! I will correct it immediately.
Posted by: Michi | March 11, 2006 at 05:20 PM
Ninomiyas name is Kazunari not Kazuya.
Posted by: KK | March 11, 2006 at 11:06 AM