Masahiro Motoki's starring film "Black Prison" (directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa, released on June 19) had its world premiere on May 19 local time in the "Cannes Premiere" section of the 79th Cannes International Film Festival currently being held in France.
In addition to lead actor Motoki, the event was attended by Masaki Suda, Munetaka Aoki, Ryota Miyadate from the popular group "Snow Man," and director Kiyoshi Kurosawa. The group, who had shown relaxed smiles during the photo call held in the daytime, appeared in formal tuxedos in the evening before the screening. Their expressions had completely changed from those of the daytime, and they walked step by step, bathed in countless flashes of light, their faces showing a sense of serious tension.
The film then had its official screening at the Salle Debussy, which was packed with over 1,000 people. Among those present were directors Hirokazu Kore-eda, Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Koji Fukada, Kei Ishikawa, and Yukiko Sode.
This year's Cannes Film Festival is also generating buzz because Park Chan-wook, the acclaimed director known for films like "Oldboy" (2003), is serving as the first Korean to head the jury. The "Cannes Premiere" section, in which "Black Prison" was screened, was newly established at the festival in 2021, and has previously featured films such as Mamoru Hosoda's "The Dragon and the Freckled Princess" (2021), Takeshi Kitano's "The Neck" (2023), and Koji Fukada's "Love Trial" (2025). As a section where "the most talked-about new films that should be screened right now" by internationally renowned directors are gathered and premiered, it has attracted considerable attention from media around the world.
This marks the sixth time a film by director Kurosawa has been screened at the film festival, following "Pulse" in 2001 (54th edition, A Certain Perspective section), "Bright Future" in 2003 (56th edition, Competition section), "Tokyo Sonata" in 2008 (61st edition, A Certain Perspective section, Jury Prize winner), "Journey to the Shore" in 2015 (68th edition, A Certain Perspective section, Best Director Award winner), and "Before We Vanish" in 2017 (70th edition, A Certain Perspective section).
"Kurorojo" (Black Prison Castle) by Honobu Yonezawa(Kadokawa Bunko/KADOKAWA), published in 2021, is a popular novel that has won numerous awards, including the 166th Naoki Prize and the 12th Yamada Futaro Prize. Set in Arioka Castle during the Sengoku period, the story follows Lord Araki Murashige (played by Motoki), who rebels against the tyrannical methods of Oda Nobunaga and decides to siege the castle, but a series of mysterious incidents occur. The suspects are among his retainers and family members who are trapped inside the castle... As everyone becomes suspicious of each other, Murashige teams up with the dangerous genius strategist Kuroda Kanbei (played by Sugada), who is imprisoned, to try and solve the case... This is a psychological mystery set in the Sengoku period. It will be Kurosawa's first period drama. It is scheduled to be released on June 19th.
