Beloved specialty distributor Janus Films has acquired all U.S. rights to The Samurai and the Prisoner, the latest feature from influential Japanese auteur Kiyoshi Kurosawa, which will soon make its world premiere at the 79th Cannes Film Festival. The deal was negotiated with Paris-based sales outfit Charades. Janus said it will announce theatrical release plans in the coming weeks.
Described by its producers as Kurosawa’s most ambitious feature to date, The Samurai and the Prisoner pairs veteran Japanese actor Masahiro Motoki — star of Departures, winner of the Oscar for best foreign-language feature in 2009 — with the prolific young star Masaki Suda, who earned widespread praise for his enigmatic performance in Kurosawa’s 2024 thriller Cloud. They are joined by an ensemble that includes Yuriko Yoshitaka, Munetaka Aoki, Ryota Miyadate, Tasuku Emoto and Joe Odagiri.
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