On November 25th, it was announced that WOWOW, which has produced many popular works such as profound social dramas, and Shochiku and Shochiku Kyoto Studio, which have produced masterpieces of period dramas that have left their mark on film history, will team up to produce their first completely original large-scale project, "Serial Drama W I, KILL." With an eye on overseas markets, it will be a "historical spectacle x authentic survival thriller from Kyoto," a collaboration between up-and-coming creators and the top-class craftsmen and staff of the traditional Shochiku Kyoto Studio. It is scheduled to be broadcast and streamed on WOWOW in 2025.
The script was written by Minato Takehiko, who is known for the film "Seiyoku" and the drama "Ex-Convict - New Probation Officer Agawa Kayo", with participation from Baba Takumi and Kawamitsu Sawako. The main director is Young Paul, who has roots in Japan and the US, and Hattori Daiji, who started his career at Shochiku's Kyoto Studio, will also participate as a director. Special effects will be handled by Hyakutake Tomoo, and art will be handled by Harada Tetsuo. This first-class staff will collaborate to try to combine the traditional beauty of period dramas with new visual expression.
The story is set 30 years after the Battle of Sekigahara. A monster called "Gun-kyou" suddenly appears in Japan, a country that is slowly regaining peace, and attacks and eats people. The story centers on Orin, a woman who stands up to protect her unrelated daughter Toki, and Shiro, a man who has lost everything and is in despair, but who travels to find out about his past. The story is a grand human drama with the theme of "living." The cast for Orin, Shiro, and others will be announced at a later date.
The staff's comments are as follows:
◇ Comment from scriptwriter Takehiko Minato
The idea itself was something I'd heard a few times before.
-- Mainly as a joke.
In fact, some of these stories may have been made into films. However, I didn't think there were people who would expand on those ideas and turn them into full-length films, much less just random chats about random ideas.
"It turned out like this! It turned out like that! It even turned out like this!" and "I'm sure it can take on the world!" As I watched director Young Paul present with glazed eyes, I was wondering how to escape from this dangerous person, but before I knew it, I was being forced to attend a lecture on "it" by a university professor, was forced to buy a DVD of "it", which was the director's favorite, and before I knew it, some excellent young screenwriters had gotten involved, and an astonishing cast had come together.
I kept wondering if he was crazy, but by the time I finished writing, I saw the same things in his eyes.
I did it.
Historical drama x zombie epic
Please look forward to it!!!
◇Comment from Director Young Paul
As a result of serious people coming together...some amazing works are beginning to be born.
It seems like a unique genre that I've never seen before, but at the same time it has a sense of grand entertainment backed by history, creating a miraculous combination.
Filming is currently underway, and the energy emanating from the screen is incredible.
This is interesting.
◇Comment from Director Daiji Hattori
Zombies x period drama x survival horror. The theme is "life."
I felt that if I had been offered this project and hadn't accepted it, there would have been no point in becoming a director.
My role was to bring together WOWOW, which continues to create ambitious works, and Young Paul, a genius film garnering worldwide attention, with Shochiku Studios, which continues to create authentic period dramas.
In the sense that they are creating a fantasy that no one has ever seen before, zombies and period dramas are the same. I intend to use the little experience and knowledge I have of period dramas to the best of my ability in this production, together with the staff at Uzumasa, the zombie team, and the action team.
Filming is tough. Every day is a shock.
The filming of "I KILL" was a series of first-time experiences, exhausting the mental and physical strength of all the staff and cast. But no one complained. They were full of energy. They wanted to deliver "I KILL" to the world as soon as possible. That was their only determination.
◇Comment from Chief Producer, Masaki Yamada (WOWOW Content Production Division, Drama Production Department)
This time, WOWOW, Shochiku and Shochiku Kyoto Studio have teamed up to take on the challenge of creating a new original drama series from Japan. We hope to create a work that will reach audiences not only in Japan but also overseas with a new worldview and authentic depictions that combine the traditional Kyoto "period drama" with the overseas "survival thriller" genre.
In Kyoto, the mecca of period dramas, the overwhelmingly passionate collaboration between director Young Paul and the Tokyo creators and period drama artisan staff is creating an immeasurable chemical reaction on set.
I would like to portray the tenacity and strength of "living," as well as the rawness and madness, and the beauty that lies beyond, in a work that will touch the hearts of people living in this chaotic world today.
◇ Comment from producer Hirono Okamura (TV Planning Office, Video Planning Division, Shochiku)
The theme of this work is "to live." It is a simple yet profound proposition.
Each character faces their own problems, and as things don't go as planned, they struggle to survive. This is where the drama is born. It is a suspense thriller, but also a family drama. It is a work rooted in endearing family love. Every single shot was shot carefully and with love. It was made in Kyoto, Japan, and I hope that this work will reach as many people as possible.
