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 will remain in the history of film, 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 full-scale survival thriller from Kyoto" that is a collaboration between up-and-coming creators and the top-class craftsmen staff of the traditional Shochiku Kyoto Studio. It is scheduled to be broadcast and distributed on WOWOW in 2025.
The script is written by Takehiko Minato, known for the movie "Seiyoku" and the drama "Ex-Convict - New Probation Officer Agawa Kayo", with participation from Takumi Baba and Sawako Kawamitsu. Young Paul, who has roots in Japan and the United States, will serve as the main director, and another director, Daiji Hattori, who started his career at Shochiku Kyoto Studio, will also participate. Tomo Hyakutake will be in charge of special effects, and Tetsuo Harada will be in charge of art. A team of first-class staff members will collaborate to fuse the traditional beauty of period dramas with new visual expression.
The story is set 30 years after the Battle of Sekigahara. In a country where peace was returning to the world, monsters called "Gun-kyou" suddenly appeared, attacking and devouring people. The story centers on a woman named O-Rin, who stands up to protect her unrelated daughter Toki, and a man named Shiro, who has lost everything and is in despair but travels to learn about his past. The cast for O-Rin, Shiro, and others will be announced at a later date.
Comments from the staff are as follows.
◇Comment from screenwriter Minato Takehiko
I'd heard the idea itself here and there many times.
--Mainly as a joke.
It may have actually been made into a film. But I didn't think there would be people who would expand on the idea and turn it into a large-scale feature film, even if it was just a random chat.
"It turned out like this! It turned out like that! It even turned out like this!" "I think it can definitely compete with the world!" As I was watching Director Young Paul's presentation with his eyes wide open, I was thinking about how to escape from this crazy 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" that the director said was his favorite, and before I knew it, a group of young, talented screenwriters had been involved, and an amazing cast of impressive people had gathered.
I kept wondering, "Are you crazy?", but by the time I finished writing, I had the same look in his eyes.
We did it.
A period drama x zombie epic
Please look forward to it!!!
◇Director Young Paul's comment
As a result of serious people coming together... a crazy work is being born.
I think it's a miraculous combination of a unique genre that you've never seen before, but also a sense of grand entertainment backed by history.
We are currently shooting, and the power brimming from the screen is incredible.
This is interesting.
◇Comment from Director Daiji Hattori
Zombies x period drama x survival horror. The theme is "living."
If I had been offered this project and hadn't accepted it, I thought there would have been no point in becoming a director.
My role was to fuse WOWOW, which continues to create ambitious works, and Young Paul, a genius who has attracted the attention of the world, with Shochiku Studios, which continues to create authentic period dramas.
In the sense of 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, together with the staff in Uzumasa, the zombie team, and the action team, in this project.
Filming is tough. Every day is a shock.
Filming "I KILL" was a series of first-time experiences, and it exhausted the mental and physical strength of all the staff and cast to the fullest. But no one complained. We are full of energy. We want to deliver "I KILL" to the world as soon as possible. That is our only wish.
◇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 world view and authentic depiction that combines the traditional Kyoto "period drama" with the overseas "survival thriller" genre.
In Kyoto, the mecca of period dramas, the collaboration between director Young Paul and Tokyo creators and period drama craftsmen with overwhelming passion is creating an immeasurable chemical reaction on set.
We want to depict the tenacity and toughness of "living." We also want to depict the rawness and madness, and the beauty that lies beyond, to create a work that will move the hearts of people living in this chaotic world today.
◇Comment from producer Okamura Hirono (Shochiku Video Planning Department, TV Planning Division)
The theme of this film is "living." It's a simple but profound proposition.
Each character faces their own problems, and as things don't go as they want, they struggle to survive. This is where the drama is born. It's a suspense thriller, but also a family drama. It's a work rooted in endearing family love. Every single shot was shot carefully and with love. I hope that this film, made in Kyoto, Japan, will reach as many people as possible.
