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Posts with tag Bunraku

Ron Perlman Isn't Always the Good Guy

Filed under: Action », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Casting »

First there was Josh Hartnett as a drifter. Then came Demi Moore as a captive courtesan, while Woody Harrelson sign on to be a bartender (once again) and Shun Sugata grabbed an uncle role. Now, we've got a bad guy. The Hollywood Reporter posts that the big bad of Bunraku will be played by Hellboy Ron Perlman, just days after he signed on for The Job.

Guy Moshe's film will be set in a Sin City sort of hyperstylized universe, and as Jessica originally shared, it's got a whole bunch of weird artistic genres that it's pulling from -- puppets, video games, origami, comic books, and even German expressionism. Hartnett's Drifter teams up with a samurai played by Japanese actor Gackt, and they go after Perlman's Eastern European gang lord. I ... have absolutely no idea what to expect from this. The story is simple enough, but I can't imagine how origami, puppets, and other mish-mashed styles will fit into this martial arts story. Oh yeah, and if that wasn't enough, Hartnett originally compared it to Alfred Hitchcock's Rope.

Will we really be getting a film that's one long take of CGI, puppets, martial arts, and fights between good guys and bad guys? It sounds more like one of those weird dreams that wakes you up and wonder what your dream mind was thinking.

Demi Moore Joins Josh Hartnett in 'Bunraku'

Filed under: Action », Independent », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Casting »

Upon first hearing Josh Hartnett mention his starring role in the fantasy action flick Bunraku, I had a hard time believing the film was ever going to happen. It's not every day a movie has paper mache puppets, origami, comic books, video games AND German expressionism. Plus, Hartnett was comparing the look of the film to everything from Hitchcock to Michel Gondry. To be honest, the whole thing sounded like a mess. But, I guess it was all sorted out because The Hollywood Reporter announced that Demi Moore has just signed to star in the role of a captive courtesan to an evil warlord.

Guy Moshe (who also wrote the script) will direct the story of a lone drifter (Hartnett) who blows into town with revenge on his mind, but is soon faced with even bigger problems than he started with. Woody Harrelson also signed to play 'The Bartender' (in a bar where everyone knows your name?) and Japanese actor Shun Sugata (Kill Bill) has been cast in the role of 'Uncle'.

Josh Hartnett To Star in 'Bunraku'

Filed under: Action », Drama », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Casting », Deals », DIY/Filmmaking »

I'm all for actors who try and break out of a preconceived idea about themselves, but sometimes I think there are those who take it all just a little too seriously. Enter Josh Hartnett. In an interview with VH1, Hartnett spoke up his next film Bunraku. The name comes from a traditional form of Japanese puppet theater, and Hartnett told VH1 that the film, "It's a story of revenge...My character is called 'The Drifter,' and he comes into this world that doesn't look like anything like you've ever seen before. It's in the vein of 'Sin City' or something like that, where the world doesn't look like reality at all." So I guess that is where the paper mâché puppets would come in. Luckily this is not a kids movie, and Hartnett told VH1, "[The script] has a lot of fight sequences in it, but it's more about these crazy characters...Like my character, he's a gypsy and he's coming into town and he's got something to prove - and no one really knows what he's about."

The film will also incorporate CGI and traditional puppetry to create an overall look for the universe. But so far even Hartnett isn't sure what to expect when he arrives in Romania to begin shooting, saying, "It's odd; it's out there. I've been trying to do as much artistic fare as I can and things that are compelling to watch as well." Hartnett also compared the film to the work of Michel Gondry and Alfred Hitchcock's Rope. Hitchcock's film was famous for appearing to be shot in one long take. Unfortunately, it wasn't technically possible at the time and Hitchcock went for the next best thing. The master of suspense shot the film in 10 minute takes and seamlessly edited them together. But a lot has changed since 1948, so who knows how Bunraku might turn out. Hartnett mentioned that casting hasn't finished yet for Bunraku, and for some reason, he has yet to mention who might be directing this possible 'fruitcake' of a film. Until he does, stay tuned to Cinematical for any updates that might come our way.

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