Takashi Miike To Direct Neon’s ‘Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo’ Starring Shun Oguri, Lily James, & Liv Morgan; Film To Hit International Market At Cannes—The Dish – Deadline
2025-05-01T00:43:00Z
Neon is gearing up to begin production on Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo, with Takashi Miike set to direct the movie starring Shun Oguri, and Lily James.
EXCLUSIVE: Neon is gearing up to begin production in May on Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo, with Takashi Miike (Audition, 13 Assassins) set to direct. The thriller will star Shun Oguri (Godzilla v. Kong, No Longer Human), Lily James (Pam and Tommy, Yesterday), and WWE star Liv Morgan (Gionna Daddio).
The film will be a U.S.-Japan co-production, produced by Jeremy Thomas for Recorded Picture Company, Sam Pressman for Pressman Film, Naoaki Kitajima for Nippon TV and Misako Saka for OLM. Executive producers include Tom Quinn, Yuzo Kuwahara, Tetsu Fujimura, Paula Paizes, Alainée Kent, Peter Watson, Ivan Kelava, Max Loeb and Mike Apgar. The deal was negotiated by Neon’s Sarah Colvin, VP of Acquisitions, and Paula Paizes from Pressman Film and Recorded Picture Company’s Ivan Kelava on behalf of the filmmakers.
Neon will release the film theatrically in North America and represent the international sales rights in Cannes this month.
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Written by Daisuke Tengan (Audition, 13 Assassins) and based on the IP first produced by Edward R. Pressman, Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo will follow the Bad Lieutenant (Oguri), a corrupt gambler in the Metropolitan Police Force, who finds himself thrown into a tangled case after an enigmatic FBI agent (James) arrives in Tokyo to investigate the disappearance of a politician’s daughter (Morgan). Meanwhile, a deviant killer operating in the yakuza underworld seems to be shadowing their moves.
“A team of incredibly talented actors and crew has gathered in Tokyo. Now. I’m about to throw a fastball straight down the middle of your strike zone – no tricks, no gimmicks. I’m confident we are about to break through every limit, to create unforgettable entertainment. Get ready for the ride with us,” shared Miike excitedly.
“We’re all delighted to reinterpret this iconic IP with a master filmmaker like Takashi Miike,” said producer Jeremy Thomas of Recorded Picture Company. “We’ve produced 10 films in Japan, most recently Grand Maison Paris, which has grossed over $28M domestically, and it’s a fertile place to create and distribute films. I feel the time is right for this irreverent hybrid.”
Neon is coming in hot following a successful award season with Sean Baker’s Anora starring Mikey Madison, Yura Borisov, Karren Karagulian, Vache Tovmasyan, Darya Ekamasova, and Aleksei Serebryakov. The film won five Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director for Baker, and Best Actress for Madison.
Additional Neon titles headed to the French film festival include Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value, Julia Ducournau’s Alpha, Raoul Peck’s Orwell, and Michael Angelo Covino’s Splitsville.
“Director Miike brings a fearless new vision to the Bad Lieutenant, a character defined by the auteur. Just as maestros Ferrara and Herzog delivered films as radically different as their own voices, Miike’s adaptation is unrelentingly wild and unique,” said Sam Pressman, CEO of Pressman Film, “My father Edward R. Pressman, always believed this story of corruption, both of police and the human soul, has a global resonance. To realize this next evolution now in Tokyo with Director Miike, NEON and my father’s lifelong friend Jeremy Thomas — all true believers in the power of independent cinema — is both an honor and a dream come true.”
Takashi Miike has directed over 100 feature films and built a filmography that has gained an ever-expanding cult fanbase in the West. His films include his international film festival breakouts Audition, the yakuza trilogy Dead Or Alive, and thriller Ichi The Killer, as well as other titles including Sukiyaki Western Django, Visitor Q, 13 Assassins, and his 100th film, Blade of the Immortal. He is a favoured filmmaker at Cannes, with films such as Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai and Shield of Straw having been nominated for the Palme d’Or. He is represented by CAA.
Oguri is one of Japan’s best-regarded actors, best known for his roles in Boys Over Flowers and Weathering With You, and made his Hollywood debut in Adam Wingard’s Godzilla vs Kong. He previously collaborated with Miike on Crows Zero and its sequel Terra Formars, as well as Sukiyaki Western Django. Oguri will next be seen in the series Romantics Anonymous and Human Vapor for Netflix. Oguri is represented by Tristone Entertainment Inc.
James first gained recognition for playing Lady Rose in the British drama series Downton Abbey. She followed with starring roles in films like Baby Driver, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, and Cinderella. She earned critical acclaim and a BAFTA nomination for her transformation into Pamela Anderson in the hit Hulu series Pam & Tommy. She is repped by Tavistock Wood Management, Independent Talent Group, and UTA.
WWE star Liv Morgan is coming off making a special appearance at WrestleMania 41 in Las Vegas. In 2022, she ascended to the company’s upper echelon as the Women’s World Champion. Morgan has evolved into one of WWE’s greatest antagonists and has been featured in major matches on the company’s milestone events, including WrestleMania and SummerSlam. She is repped by Paradigm.
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