Press Notes and High-Res Images for Collaboration Between Miike and the Creators of KILLERS Source: Nikkatsu Corporation Official Movie Site: gokudo-movie.com (Japan)

Introduction

Are you ready for the world`s first yakuza vampire movie? Internationally renowned director Takashi Miike -- the filmmaker behind ICHI THE KILLER, AUDITION, 13 ASSASSINS, HARA-KIRI: DEATH OF A SAMURAI 3D, ACE ATTORNEY, FOR LOVE`S SAKE and LESSON OF THE EVIL -- is back with the action fantasy YAKUZA APOCALYPSE (?????, Gokudo Daisenso). The movie opens in Japan on June 20th.

Story

Wild tales have always abounded in the world of the yakuza, but those surrounding boss Genyo Kamiura are the stuff of legend. He is said to be so powerful that neither knives nor guns can take him down. Little do his rivals suspect that this is because Kamiura is in fact a vampire -- a vampire yakuza boss! Within Kamiura’s organization is Akira Kageyama, a half-baked yakuza looked down upon by fellow gang members due to sensitive skin that prevents him from getting even the simplest of tattoos. However, Kageyama’s loyalty is never in doubt and he does whatever asked of by his boss. One day, an assassin called Kyoken (Yayan Ruhian) arrives from Indonesia. Aware of the truth behind Kamiura’s identity, he is there to deliver an ultimatum: return to the international syndicate he left years earlier, or die. A fierce battle erupts, climaxing with Kamiura being torn limb from limb. Arriving in time to witness the violent demise of Kamiura, Kageyama rushes to his remains. With his last ounce of strength, Kamiura bites Kageyama on the neck, sending his vampire essence into his two-bit underling. With that, Kageyama collapses dead beside the remains of his beloved boss. Days later, Kageyama wakes up in a mortuary to find himself not dead after all. In fact, he is now in possession of superhuman ability and, to his joy, finds the brilliant tattoo of a phoenix burning brightly on his back. Determined to avenge the death of his boss, Kageyama seeks out his killer. But his quest for revenge will not be easy, as the killer is teamed with a slew of outrageous assassins each with their own unusual abilities and an unquenchable thirst for murder!

Notes

At the helm of YAKUZA APOCALYPSE is director Takashi Miike, whose film THE MOLE SONG -UNDERCOVER AGENT REIJI- (???? ????? REIJI, Mogura no Uta Sennuu Sosakan REIJI, 2013) generated more than two-billion yen in box office returns. With YAKUZA APOCALYPSE Miike returns to the hard-driven style of his early filmmaking career and the genres that first put him in the international spotlight. The central character is played by Hayato Ichihara (ROOKIES: GRADUATION). Ichihara is known in Japan as an actor who blends a tougher-than-nails personality with superior acting skills. In YAKUZA APOCALYPSE he plays Akira Kageyama, an underling with a serious case of hero worship for his boss, the legendary yakuza Kamiura. For his role, Ichihara underwent a difficult training program in order to meet the grueling demands of the production. Co-starring is Yayan Ruhian, great Indonesian action actor, very well known as a Mad-dog from THE RAID (Serbuan maut, 2012) and THE RAID 2 (Serbuan maut 2, 2014). It will be his first foreign film, but also his first film with a director other than Gareth Evans. In recent years, Japanese cinema has been plagued by manga derived productions. YAKUZA APOCALYPSEsets itself apart from this trend. The film features an original script written by Yoshitaka Yamaguchi, a former assistant director of Miike?s and a director in his own right. It aims to reinvent both the yakuza genre and the vampire legend by pulling them together under the guidance of one of the world`s surest directors and create something never seen before. YAKUZA APOCALYPSE started shooting on April 17, 2014 for a June 2015 theatrical release in Japan. “Take a hike, boring Japanese productions! Against everyone`s wishes, I`m going back to my roots on this one, and plan to go on a real rampage with YAKUZA APOCALYPSE. I hope my cast and crew, and even myself make it out alive!” --Takashi Miike “I have never seen such a wild and unusually plotted movie before. I am grateful for the opportunity to star in YAKUZA APOCALYPSE, the latest film from Japan?s top director and will meet head on any rampage Miike dishes out.” --Hayato Ichihara

Credits

Japanese Release Date: June 20, 2015 Cast Akira Kageyama: Hayato Ichihara Kyoken: Yayan Ruhian Kyoko: Riko Narumi Genyo Kamiura: Lily Franky Sosuke Zenba: Reiko Takashima Yakuza: Sho Aoyagi, Pierre Taki Nurse Mikiko: Yuki Sakurai Vampire Student: Mio Yuki Kiyohiko Shibukawa Crew Director: Takashi Miike Screenwriter: Yoshitaka Yamaguchi Producers: Shinjiro Nishimura (Nikkatsu), Shinichiro Masuda (Nikkatsu), Misako Saka (OLM) Cinematographer: Hajime Kanda Editor: Kenji Yamashita Music: Koji Endo Production Company: "Yakuza Apocalypse" FILM PARTNERS (Nikkatsu, OLM, Inc.Django Film, Gambit, Happinet Corporation) Japanese Distributor: Nikkatsu Corporation International Sales Agent: Nikkatsu Corporation © 2015 "Yakuza Apocalypse" FILM PARTNERS