Crime City:Ma Dong-seok's hit film to be released in Japan, directed by Eiji Uchida

It has been revealed that a Japanese version of the hit film "The Outlaws," starring actor Ma Dong-seok, titled "Tokyo Burst," will be produced. Ma Dong-seok will serve as associate producer, and the film will be directed by Eiji Uchida, known for films such as "Midnight Swan" and "Night Flower." It is scheduled to be released in early summer this year.

The "Crime City" series is Korea's most popular film series, with Hollywood actor Ma Dong-seok playing the lead role of a powerful detective, who also wrote the original story, planned and produced the film. Four films have been released to date, with a cumulative total of over 40 million viewers in Korea. This latest film, "Tokyo Burst: Crime City," is being produced as a universe work with an original Japanese story that connects the series to the world line. Set in Kabukicho, the "Devil's City of East Asia," where various ambitions and desires swirl, the story follows a rookie detective from Shinjuku Central Police Station as he faces a life-threatening battle that also involves organizations such as international criminals, the Yakuza, and hosts. Director Uchida and Tatsuro Mishima are also involved in the scriptwriting.

Ma Dong-seok commented, "Director Eiji Uchida, the staff, and all the actors approached this film with great passion. I believe their efforts have paid off and this movie will definitely be a success. Fighting!"

◇Comment from Ma Dong-seok (Associate Producer)

The Japanese project "Tokyo Burst: Crime City," part of the "Crime City" series, which I co-produced, has finally been completed. Director Eiji Uchida, the staff, and the actors all worked on this film with great passion. I believe that their efforts have paid off and this film will be a success. I can't wait to show it to everyone.

I too would like to join in the fight for the release of this film! Fighting!

◇ Director Eiji Uchida

As a filmmaker, I am extremely honored to have been asked to take on a role in Korea's most iconic action film. At the same time, this film would not have been possible without the unique actor Ma Dong-seok, and there is no other Ma Dong-seok in Japan or anywhere else in the world. I couldn't imagine another actor playing this film, so I suggested making it a universe film. And thus, "TOKYO BURST," an original Japanese story that portrays Kabukicho, a bustling entertainment district that attracts people from all over the world, as a city of crime, was born.

Set in a parallel world to the Seoul where Ma Dong-seok is active, this crime action film features a mix of Japanese and Korean actors. Tokyo turns into a battlefield as Shinjuku police fight against the bad guys.

We were able to shoot on a grand scale in various locations in Shinjuku, and have completed a work unlike any other before. After completion, we received words of encouragement from Associate Producer Ma Dong-seok, and now all that's left is to wait for the film to be screened. Please come see "TOKYO BURST - Crime City -" at the theater!

◇Daisuke “DAIS” Miyachi (Executive Producer)

This film project started in 2020 with a Korean producer, and has been in development and production for over five years. I am a big fan of Korean movies and dramas, and I particularly love the speed and tension of recent action filming and directing techniques. Producing a Japanese version of "The Outcasts," a masterpiece by Ma Dong-seok, who is a symbol of that genre, was a high hurdle, but I was excited and attracted to the idea of producing a Japanese version of "The Outcasts," with Ma Dong-seok and others participating as associate producers from Korea, as it could be an unprecedented Japanese-Korean collaboration.

At first, it started out as a remake, but with the pressure of Ma Dong-seok's presence and the global hit "The Outlaws," we went through many trial and error processes. Then, with director Eiji Uchida's adventurous spirit, we created a new, original story that was not a remake but a rebranded version that was adapted to the Japanese era, needs, and worldview, while taking inspiration from the essence of the "The Outlaws" series (action, catharsis, humor).

Set in Shinjuku, a city where justice and evil exist in perfect balance, a ruthless criminal organization arrives in search of money, exploding like a sharp needle. Amidst all this fear and tension, the strength and kindness of the main detective and his team make this a film that exudes a vibrant humanity.

We hope you will come to the theater to see "TOKYO BURST - Crime City -," an original Japanese crime city universe set in Shinjuku, and experience it for yourself.

◇ Hidetomo Sugaya (Producer)

I still remember being overwhelmed by the flood of sparkling lights and the energy of the town when I first visited Kabukicho at night after moving to Tokyo. I had a lingering feeling that if I could one day make a movie set right in the heart of Kabukicho, it would make a wonderful work.

This time, with Ma Dong-seok joining the project as associate producer, the unexpected ideas of director Uchida and screenwriter Mishima, and the enthusiasm of all the staff and actors made it a reality.

Set in Kabukicho, Asia's leading entertainment district, this superb action entertainment film is filled with passion, humor, violence, and energy, as pure white rage and pitch black rage collide.

Even if times and ways of thinking change, there are some fundamental traits that should never be changed. This is a wonderful film that will remind you of such universal truths and give you a nostalgic feeling, so be sure to enjoy it on the big screen at the cinema!!