'Kubi' Teaser: Takeshi Kitano's Epic War Film Premieres Out Of Competition At Cannes Later This Month

Legendary Japanese actor-director Takeshi Kitano returns to the Croisette for the first time this year since 2010, when his film “Outrage” competed for the coveted Palme d’Or. And while “Kubi,” Kitano’s latest directorial effort, may premiere out of competition at the 76th edition of the Cannes Film Festival this month, The Film Stage still think it’ll be a festival highlight.

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Based on the director’s 2019 novel, “Kubi” tells the story of the real-life Honno-ji Incident and the assassination of Japanese warlord Oda Nobunaga in Kyoto in 1582. And Kitano wants “Kubi” to be as epic as possible, looking at the legendary Akira Kurosawa and his films like “The Seven Samurai” and “Kagemusha” for influence.

Basically, Kitano wants “Kubi” to be a period drama done right, in both scale and scope. “If possible, I hope this movie will be a hit, and I hope to be able to shoot a few more,” the director said at a recent press conference in Tokyo. “When you think of period dramas, you tend to think of historical dramas as historical dramas, but they are all about beautiful success stories, and they don’t depict the dirty parts and jobs of people. I made it. It took a lot of effort to complete it, but I think I was able to make it thanks to the staff and cast.”

“Kubi” stars Asano TadanobuNishijimi HidetoshiKase Ryo, and more. Kitano co-directs the film with Shuto Takahata, and adapts his novel with Takahito Minato for the big screen. The director originally planned for “Kubi” to be his final film, but now Kitano wants to backtrack those comments. So who knows what Kitano has in store for audiences next?

“Kubi” is a long-gestating project for Takeshi Kitano, initially conceiving it when he starred in and directed 1993’s “Sonantine.” Now “Kubi” finally arrives thirty years later, ready for a Cannes 2023 premiere. Watch a trailer for the film below.